All Roads Lead Home
by RositaLG
Summary: He had thought about this moment for years, what he would say to her when the inevitable day came that they finally ran into one another. He had written a thousand scripts in his head over the years, each one unique, but they were all gone now. Futurefic
1. Running Away

A/N: So this is new and different for me. I'm writing a future fic for Bones…*takes deep breath* It's canon up until 'The Doctor in the Photo' and then jumps into AU. It takes place in 2016. I hope that I don't scare you off! I will tell you that this is my personal favorite fic to write in all my years of writing. :) Each chapter has a corresponding song to go with it, (the idea and some of the music choices are courtesy of Biba79) This chapter's theme song is "Running Away" by Midnight Hour.

OOOOO

"Dr. Brennan?" She lifted her head up from her briefcase long enough to glance at who was requesting her attention. It was the fact that it was a teenage boy that caused her to do a double take. "I know it's been awhile so don't feel bad if you don't remember who I am but..." He said with a hesitant smile, his father's hesitant smile.

"Parker Booth, I would recognize your bone structure anywhere." She said as she wrapped him in a hug. He laughed.

"I should have known that I would get a response like that." He said with a shake of his head.

"Look at you, you've grown up!" She said, surprised at how grown he appeared. He had to be close to sixteen now, but he was still the spitting image of his father, aside from his mother's curly blonde hair and round face.

"Not quite, I'm still in high school. We're here on a field trip for my science class and I managed to sneak away when I saw that you were speaking."

"Are you going to get in trouble?" She asked, concerned.

"No." He said with a smile. "I mean, after you've seen the inner workings of the lab, the thrill of staring at all of the taxidermied animals is sort of gone." He said with a smile. "Are you glad to be back in DC?" He asked her.

"I always like returning home." She said. "It's strange to return here without actually going to work, or having an office, but it's nice to see everyone again." She said, suddenly realizing what her words meant. Parker smiled politely, knowing that she was not, in fact, seeing everyone when she stopped back through town.

"He misses you." He offered.

"Parker…" His name was a request to change the subject. She couldn't talk about Booth, not while standing inside the Jeffersonian which was already filled with enough haunting memories. Not while staring into his same brown eyes that he had passed on to his son.

"Anyway, I know that you are probably busy, but I was thinking that if you had some free time, you might do me a favor and let me pick your brain. I'm in the process of choosing colleges and I could really use some advice on which programs to look at. I figure, you know everyone in the science field worth knowing." He was charming too, a quality that she remembered from his childhood but was now making it impossible for her to say no.

"With flattery like that, how could I refuse?" She said with a knowing smile. "I would love to."

"Really?" He said, surprised she said yes. "That's great!"

"I'm actually free this evening if you aren't busy. I understand that typically teenage boys usually have a lot of things planned for Friday nights."

"No, not at all." He said. "Where do you want to meet?" She considered his question. The diner was out, too many people knew them both there. Not that she had anything to hide, but people would ask questions, and she hated the questions. Then she remembered the dark hole in the wall Chinese restaurant where she had first met Parker.

"Wong Fu's?" She asked. Parker's face lit up with a smile.

"That sounds great! 6:30?" She nodded. "Oh, and I probably don't have to tell you this, but I was never here." He added with a flash of a mischievous grin. She smiled and nodded as he ran off towards the lobby of the museum. Her chest felt simultaneously lighter with the joy of seeing him and heavy with the ache of lost time. She shook the feeling away and closed the latch on her briefcase. There was no point in feeling regret. After all, it served no real purpose.

OOOOO

"Hello?" Parker said as he entered his father's apartment. "Anybody home?"

"Hey kid, in the kitchen." Booth replied, dropping the spoon in his hand and going to meet his son. After a quick hug, Parker went directly to the fridge to grab a soda.

"What's new?" He asked his father as he leaned against the counter.

"Not a lot, how have you been?"

"Good." He said. "Got an A on my history test." He offered.

"Good for you." Booth said with a proud smile.

"Listen, I know that we were going to watch the game tonight, but…"

"Hot date?" Booth smiled knowingly at his son.

"Something like that."

"No worries, I'll Tivo it and you can catch it later if you want."

"Thanks." Parker said as he headed for his room to change.

"So this girl…Anybody I know?" Booth asked from the kitchen.

"Um, probably not anymore." Parker shouted back from his room. "She was an old lab partner. We happened to reconnect on a field trip this afternoon, so we figured we would try dinner." He said, not really lying to his father.

"Oh, a smart girl, huh?" Booth teased as his son reappeared.

"Very."

"Where are you taking her?"

"Wong Fu's. She loves Asian food."

"Are you nervous?"

"A little. I remember her being really cool, but a lot of time has passed since we've actually talked so I have a feeling there will be some awkward silence."

"You'll be fine. You're both smart, I'm sure you can come up with something to talk about."

OOOOO

Parker saw Brennan sitting at the bar talking to Sid. He quickly made his way over to the seat next to her's.

"Hi Bo… I mean, Dr. Brennan." He corrected himself as he sat down next to her and unceremoniously dropped a large file full of college brochures onto the bar beside him.

"It's alright. Call me Bones." She said with a smile. "I've always enjoyed the nickname, despite the fact that you two were the only ones who ever called me that." She stood up. "Shall we move to a table?" She asked.

"Sure." Parker said.

"So tell me, what options are you exploring for school?" Brennan asked as she gave the boy her full attention.

"Broadly? Forensics." He said simply. Brennan smiled proudly. "I'm not quite sure how yet, but between my parents and their friends, it's not really a surprise that I want to move in that direction."

"How does your father feel about that?" She found herself asking.

"I think he saw it coming. When I asked him if I could keep the human finger I found in that bird's nest, that was probably a sign."

"He thought that you were going to be scarred for life from that." She smiled. "He even made you talk to Sweets to make sure there was no lasting damage." She remembered.

"Yeah, well, it wasn't the last time I had to talk to Sweets." Parker said with a roll of his eyes. "I know that he's concerned about me being in school for the next fifteen years, but in the end, he just wants me to be happy." Brennan nodded. "Anyway, I've talked to Cam about the pathology side of it, but I would love to hear what you have to say for anthropology."

"Well, I could talk for quite some time about that. What would you like to know?" She asked.

OOOOO

Booth came home from work exhausted. This case was giving him a run for his money and it was days like this he realized just how much older he felt at the end of the day. He took off his jacket and tie and threw them on his bed before changing into a pair of sweats. He wanted nothing more than to order a pizza and not get up off the couch. He sat down and noticed that Parker had left one of his binders for school on the table. He made a mental note to call and remind him where it was just in case he needed it. Picking it up to move it, Booth noticed an envelope that had been underneath the binder fall to the floor. One look at it and his breath caught in his chest. He would have recognized the handwriting on the front of the envelope anywhere, despite not having seen it in six years. He picked it up and stared at it for a minute, just wanting to hold it in his hands.

He had expected her to come back to town for the birth of the Hodgins' second baby, which was going to occur in a week's time but he hadn't expected to cross paths with her. The squints were careful not to mention her name around Booth and vice versa. Plus, in the three times she had come back to D.C., Cam had always given him a head's up when she would be around so they could skillfully avoid each other. He turned the envelope over, deciding to read whatever was inside, his son's privacy be damned. There was a note inside as well as what appeared to be a personal letter of recommendation she had written.

_Dear Parker,_

_I've attached a general letter of recommendation for you to include in your applications. Keep me informed of where you are applying so I can be sure to put in a good word for you directly. I know that Cam and I will be competing for your talents, but competition is healthy and I look forward to the battle. Thank you for dinner. Getting to see how you have grown into a man has been one of the most rewarding things that I will ever get to experience. You truly are your father's son in every way, which, as you already know, is the highest compliment that I can give you. Please don't hesitate to call if you ever need anything. _

_-Bones_

She had scratched out the formal signature printed on her letterhead and replaced it with the handwritten nickname she had so adamantly hated once upon a time. Booth sighed as he stared at the letter in his hands. His son had seen Bones, recently. He folded up the letter and placed it back in the binder. He closed his eyes as he fell back against the couch, his memory flooding with the last time that he had seen his partner in person.

"_I've been offered a teaching position in Chicago." She said. _

"_You're quitting." He said simply. It didn't take a forensic anthropologist to know that things had been rocky between them as of late and Booth wasn't entirely surprised by her announcement but the tears that sprang to both of their eyes at his statement surprised each of them. They both sat there for a second, the magnitude of this decision weighing heavily on both of them. "Is this…is it because of Hannah?" He had to know._

"_No." Brennan shook her head. "This is about you and me." She said. "Things aren't working between us anymore, Booth and we both know it. We're not the same people we were a few years ago. I think the best thing for me to do is to just go back to ancient remains and for you to get a new partner."_

"_I don't want a new partner." Booth said adamantly. "You are my partner, Bones."_

"_Your partner?" She chuckled humorlessly at his choice of wording. "Yes, I'm your partner. Not your girlfriend or even your friend at this point. In fact, calling me your partner these past few months is a bit of a stretch. I think I preferred you calling me your associate." She cringed._

"_Do you think that I like how far we've grown apart?" Booth stared at her, the fire in his eyes putting daggers through her heart. "Do you think that I like that every time I put you in a cab my heart stops beating in my chest? That every time I walk up the steps of the Hoover my stomach clenches so hard that it takes everything I have not to throw up on the spot? Do you think it was easy for me to watch you get on that plane to Maluku and run away from every good thing in your life? Because it's one thing to push me away, but when you ran from me, you ran from everyone else too. When you take one of us away, the whole team falls apart, remember?" He said, knowing it was true. "And now here you are, doing it all over again." He said, just being cruel at this point._

"_Stop saying that! I did not run away! I left for Maluku because I thought that it was the best thing for you!" She cried. "You told me that you had to move on so I gave you the time and space to let you!" _

"_The best thing for me? You abandoned me!" He yelled right back. "You gave up on us and you're doing it again!" _

"_I gave up on us?" She couldn't believe what he was saying. "I've been fighting a losing battle ever since we walked away from those steps that night. You may not have thought that I was worth the fight but I sure as Hell tried to fight for you. I left the country for you!" She said, venom in her voice. "And when I came back, I smiled instead of cried, I befriended Hannah when she moved in with you, and stayed quiet when you stopped talking to every single one of your so called "family members" at the lab, but I can't hold a partnership together by myself, Booth. We both made choices, I know that, so I'm letting you move on, but I'm not going to sit here and contentedly play in the ashes of what we used to be." She was so angry, she was literally seeing red. She had no idea she could ramble like that, but she had stayed silent for too long. Booth, on the other hand, couldn't speak. "You know, I had hoped that after all that we've been through, you would at least try to be supportive of this."_

"_Well, I can't." He said. "I can't be supportive." He said. "You're throwing away the best thing that ever happened to you and I'm not going to stand by and watch you do it." He said as he got up and walked away. At seeing his back turn, she finally broke out into sobs. As she fell to the park bench, she couldn't have known that it would be the last time she saw her partner._


	2. Coming Home

A/N: For my Mobsters. You have been nothing but supportive of this endeavor since you first uncovered this _top secret fic_. While you may have read lines from this in passing games of "The Line Game". I hope that you enjoy the full effect. :) This chapter title comes from "Darkest Things" by The Submarines.

OOOOO

Parker reached into his backpack, hoping to find his binder. It wasn't there. With a sigh, he picked up the phone, knowing that he had probably left it sitting on the coffee table at his dad's.

"Hey." Booth answered. "You looking for your binder?"

"Yeah, how did you know?"

"I was just about to call you. It's here."

"Great, I'll be right over to pick it up."

"Hey Parks?" Booth said.

"Yeah."

"We need to talk." Parker closed his eyes, knowing what that voice meant. He had found the letter from Bones.

"I'm on my way."

OOOOO

Parker opened the front door and slowly made his way into the living room, wondering how this conversation was going to go. His father had told him about Sweets' book and the mistakes that the partners had made following it by traveling halfway around the world to avoid each other. He had also told him about Hannah, and what she had meant to him after being turned down by Bones. But he had never, ever, discussed what had happened to dissolve their partnership. Parker had figured out the basics from a conversation he had overheard between Cam and his Uncle Jared during a Christmas party one year, but he knew that his father hated discussing anything Bones related.

"Hey." Parker said as he sat down in the nearest chair. Sure enough, Bones' letter was sitting on top of the binder.

"So where should I start?" Booth asked.

"You're the interrogator, you tell me." Parker said, earning him a stare from his father. Maybe now wasn't the best time to be joking around.

"You met with Bones." Booth said, still unable to believe it.

"Yes."

"When, how?"

"She was speaking at the Jeffersonian when we had our field trip a couple of weeks ago. Do you remember when I came home and told you that I had that date?"

"Your old lab partner that you met at Wong Fu's?"

"Yeah, that was actually Bones." Parker admitted. Booth sighed. Sometimes, he hated having a brilliant son. "We met to get caught up and talk about colleges."

"Why didn't you just tell me?" He asked.

"I know it's hard for you to hear about her so I didn't want to bring it up." Booth sighed. He couldn't argue that point.

"How is she?" It was the question he had been dying to ask since his son had walked through the door and frankly, he was proud that he waited this long. Parker smiled.

"She's the same old Bones." He said. "When I walked up to her after her lecture, I wasn't sure if she would remember me but she said that she would recognize my bone structure anywhere." Booth chuckled. "I told her that I was on the swim team and that it was all her fault for giving me full access to her pool. We basically just reminisced and talked about my future. You should call her, Dad. I know that she would want to see you."

"I don't know about that…" He said. "I was terrible to her."

"Dad, it's been six years. Whatever happened in the past, she doesn't hold any hard feelings. She still thinks the world of you. Didn't you read her note?" He asked. "You'll feel better if you apologize and it's not like you've got anything to lose." Booth didn't look convinced. "Just…think about it?" He asked as he picked up his binder.

"Sure." He said. "Hey, when did you get to be so wise?" He asked his son. Parker didn't answer, just smiled his father's same overconfident grin.

"I've got my swim trials on Saturday, are you still coming?"

"I wouldn't miss it." Booth said with a half-hearted smile.

"Okay, I'll see you then." Parker said as he made his way out of the apartment.

Booth thought about his son's argument. He knew that he should apologize, but he didn't think that he could stand to listen to Bones' gracious acceptance, which he knew that she would readily give him. He knew that what he had done back then was unspeakable. He just hadn't been able to separate the rejection from that night in front of the Hoover with her walking away from the partnership. It had opened up every wound he had tried to stitch shut that year, and in feeling abandoned, he had abandoned her, just like he had promised that he would never do. However, looking back, he knew that he had emotionally abandoned her for almost a year before that so he couldn't really blame her for wanting to leave. He wasn't sure which one he felt guiltier for. In all fairness, he had honestly loved Hannah. Of course, once his partnership with Bones ended, he was a mess and his relationship with Hannah had quickly dissolved as well. Then there was the thought that was almost worse than the concept of being pardoned for his actions. What if he still felt something for her? What if he looked into her eyes and she still held a piece of him? He knew that it was a possibility and the idea made his stomach flip within him.

OOOOO

Brennan walked into the indoor pool slowly, feeling very out of place with all of the parents and students. She made her way over to the bleachers that lined the side of the pool, but stopped short when she saw Booth sitting on the end of the second row. His face looked more worn with age, but his hair was still the deep brown that she remembered and his body was in the same perfect shape it had been when she left. Being a sniper, he knew exactly when attention was being given to him and at sensing her gaze, he turned his head in her direction. The stunned look on his face told her that Parker hadn't mentioned that she would be here. She walked slowly towards him, hoping to give him time to adjust to the idea.

"Hi." She said with that soft crooked smile that he used to love so. "I had a feeling you might be here. Do you mind if I sit down?" She asked.

"No, please." He shook his head and moved over so that she could sit next to him on the bleachers. He had thought about this moment for years, what he would say to her when the inevitable day came that they finally ran into one another. He had written a thousand scripts in his head over the years, each one unique, but they were all gone now. Instead, he could only feel her electrifying presence radiating throughout every atom of his body. The smell of her shampoo in her soft hair wafted through the thickly humid air, bringing back a flood of memories of the days when she wouldn't go a day without putting her head on his shoulder. Everything about her was familiar and foreign in a way that caused his senses to go haywire.

"So…" She started, trying to make small talk. "Cam tells me that Parker is quite adept at swimming." Booth stared at her for a moment. When had she learned to small talk?

"Um, yeah. One of the best at his school." He said proudly.

"You should be very proud of him, Booth. He's grown up to be a wonderful person." She said in a quiet way that screamed of intimacy, of a shared secret knowledge between the two, despite being surrounded by cheering parents in a loud indoor pool that echoed like crazy.

"I am." He said seriously. "So how are you, Bones?" He asked, trying to lighten the feeling in the air. He realized that this was not the time or place to get into anything deep. She smiled at the old nickname that had been lost somewhere along the way.

"I'm great." She said truthfully. "I'm glad to be back in DC. I've only been gone a little over a year but I missed everyone." She said, pausing to cheer at the mention of Parker's name. Booth clapped and cheered for his son, but couldn't help but wonder if he was included in that 'everyone' that she had mentioned. "I must confess, I know very little about the sport of swimming." She said honestly as the boys stood on the edge of the pool, getting ready for their race.

"I seem to remember you having a very steep learning curve. I'm sure you'll figure it out." He said with a small smile. Brennan returned the grin and set her attention on Parker, who was in the middle of the lanes. The official blew his whistle and the boys got into position. At the sound of the gun, Brennan jumped a mile. Booth wanted to chuckle at the action, but he knew their history too well to do so. When it came to her, an awareness of guns was okay by him. They watched the meet in relative silence apart from some polite but meaningless chatter here and there. Parker won almost all of his individual races and his relay team came in second. After the last race was completed, the awkwardness that Booth and Brennan had so bravely avoided up until that point finally enveloped the old partners in silence. Brennan anthropologically recognized that she had come into Booth's territory, so she took it upon herself to leave once again.

"Well, that was fun. I'm glad I came." She said as she stood up. "Tell Parker congratulations for me and…"

"Wait." She was cut off by Booth's hand on her arm. "Can we?" He took his traitorous hand off her arm, knowing that he had lost the right to touch her long ago. "I mean, if you don't have any plans, would you want to, maybe, go somewhere and talk?" Booth asked. "You know, alone?" Brennan glanced around at the quickly emptying stands. "There's some stuff that we really need to talk about." He added.

"Okay." She said, knowing that this confrontation was years in the making. "You could come back to my place. I just stocked the bar with a brand new bottle of scotch." She offered. Booth wanted to protest, but he also didn't want their conversation to occur in a public venue.

"Okay, um, I'll just tell Parker where I'm going and then I'll, uh, I'll meet you there?" She nodded, thankful to have the head start.

OOOOO

Brennan had raced around the room, picking up any clutter and straightening her appearance. She didn't know why she was so anxious for Booth to see her place. He had been there, quite literally, hundreds of times before. As the hesitant knock finally came to her front door, she took a deep breath before opening it.

"Hey, come on in." She said as she welcomed him in.

"Wow." He said as he took the place in. "This place hasn't changed, has it?" He said, feeling like he was stepping back into a lost but perfectly preserved era. Despite most of the missing photographs and personal knick-knacks that had lined her shelves, the place was pretty much the same.

"I'm not here enough to make a lot of changes." She said honestly. "Have a seat." She said as she gestured to the couch. "Do you still like your scotch neat?" She asked as she walked over to the bar.

"Yeah. I'm surprised that you remembered that." He said.

"Six years is a long time." She said, meaning the time that they spent together, but the double meaning made itself at home in her statement. She handed him the drink and sat down on the couch next to him.

"Thanks." He said, taking a sip of the drink and praying it would bide some time to prepare what he was going to say. "Look, Bones, I just want to apologize for the way I acted when you left. I hate the way that everything turned out. It's my fault and I'm sorry." He said, realizing how weak the words sounded compared to how he actually felt.

"You had a right to be angry. I left a six year partnership. If you had chosen to leave, I would have been just as upset." She knew it was true.

"Yeah, but I sorta did." He admitted. "I came back from Afghanistan with Hannah and I checked out. I might have still been involved in the cases, but you were right when you said that I wasn't really putting any effort into the partnership. I can't blame you for leaving. I should have never shut you out like that. I guess I was just trying a little too hard to move on."

"If I hadn't turned you down, you wouldn't have had to." She said, feeling her biggest regret putting pressure on her chest once again.

"That's not an excuse." He said. "You made your choice and I should have accepted it better."

"Booth, it's all in the past." She said simply. "We both did some terrible things to each other and if we spent all night apologizing for them, it wouldn't change the fact that they happened. So don't worry about it." She said, meaning every word. "I would like to be your friend again, if you'll have me." Booth smiled.

"Of course I will Bones." He said. "You were my best friend."

"You were mine too." She smiled. He couldn't help himself as he brought her in for a hug. She squeezed him tightly, desperately greedy for the feel of him in her arms. He had been her rock, her one dependable person in the crazy mixed up world that she had found herself in when she had stepped out of the safety of her lab. It felt so good to see him, have him near her again that she surprised herself when tears started to cloud her vision. She sniffed and he pulled away to see what was the matter.

"Happy tears." She promised before hugging him again. "I missed you." She whispered into his neck. "So much."

"Me too." He said quietly as he rubbed the small of her back. "More than you know." She chuckled at herself and wiped the tears from her eyes with a groan.

"This is all your fault, you know." She said with a teasing smile. "I haven't cried in six years, not even when Michael was born, and now look at me." Her statement hit him in the chest and she didn't realize it until she saw his reaction. "Booth, I didn't mean…" She said, knowing he was feeling guilty.

"I hate that I made you cry." He said honestly as he put a hand to her cheek to wipe away a stray tear.

"The feeling is mutual." She said. She waited a beat before continuing, as if deciding whether or not she should proceed. "I have something for you." She said hesitantly as she got up off the couch and went to her desk. Booth's eyebrows furrowed as he tried to think of what it could possibly be after so long. She handed him a manuscript box.

"Another book?" He asked as he took the box from her. "I thought you stopped writing." He said as he looked up at her.

"I did. This is different." She watched as he opened the box and looked at the title. He froze. _Bones: The real story behind the partnership that inspired Kathy Reichs and Andy Lister._ "It's a memoir." She spoke to break the silence. "Of the six years we were partners. My publisher loves the premise but I haven't shown it to her yet." She said.

"Why?" The question left his mouth before he could realize that he had spoken.

"Still obsessed with why people do things." She smiled that crooked smile that he had missed so intensely. "Because what's between us is ours." She said simply and he felt his heart fall into his stomach. "I could never publish something like this without your permission, without your approval."

"Who has seen this?" He asked.

"Just me." He stared as he waited for her to continue, knowing there had to have been more. "And Sweets." She added reluctantly. He sighed. "I wanted his opinion on the emotional side of the cases, the toll that they took." She defended herself. "Why, did he say something?" She asked.

"No, not exactly." He flashed back to the memory of walking into Sweets' office for a profile and seeing the psychiatrist nearly jump out of his chair, throwing a file onto the desk in front of him to cover up what he had really been doing. Booth wasn't stupid, he knew that it had been about Bones or Sweets wouldn't have been such a fumbling idiot in front of him. He had chosen to let it slide, believing that ignorance was bliss. Now, he was kicking himself for not tossing the desk aside to get to whatever had been underneath that file.

"I want you to read it." She said. "You deserve to read it." She corrected herself. "You were always the person who I could be completely honest with, but this…" She paused as she placed her hand on the cover of the manuscript. "This is everything." She admitted. Booth exhaled at the weight of what she was showing him, with what she trusted him with. He watched as she reached over and pulled a red pen and a set of post-it tabs off her desk and handed it to him. "I want you to edit it." She said.

"Bones…." He said, shocked by her request and reluctant to do any such thing.

"Booth, you have an opinion. This is your story too and I was just able to write what I could gather, which we all know, wasn't much."

"These are your memories, Bones. I'm not just going to take a red pen to your memories." He said.

"I'm asking you to!" She said. "As your former partner? Please?" She begged. "I need you to." Her face was sincere and he couldn't stand to say no to her. He owed her this much.

"Fine." He sighed as he took the things out of her hands and placed them in the box.

"Thank you." She said. "Let me know when you finish and we can discuss it further." Booth looked around.

"Okay." He said, not sure if she was kicking him out. He stood up anyway and she went to the door. "I guess, I'll see you later then?" He asked, not wanting to leave for fear of never seeing her again.

"Absolutely." She smiled weakly, knowing why he was forced to ask the question in the first place. "I'll see you later."


	3. Catalyst

A/N: I just wanted to take a minute to say thank you for all the amazing reviews! During the school year, I'm much better about trying to reply to all of the reviews, but I just don't have the time this summer. Please know that I'm always available for a PM if you have a question or anything and I do answer all of my Tweets so if you want to do that or DM me that way, I will respond! This chapter title comes from "Catalyst" by Anna Nalick.

OOOOO

Booth put his hand on the corner of the manuscript's cover, uncertain if he really wanted to see what was on that first page. There was a time when reading the dedication was the first thing he did when he tore the book open, but now? Now his hand was shaking with hesitation. He took a deep breath and got it over with. There it was, like always: his name.

_Booth - This book is my life and you are the reason for the book._

"Wow." Booth jumped ten feet out of his chair, suddenly feeling a lot like Sweets. Parker simply smiled as he stood behind his father, reading over his shoulder. "Therefore implying that you are the reason for her life. Excellent syllogism." He smiled, knowing that Bones had been the first person to teach him about that word.

"Where did you come from?" Booth asked.

"My room." Parker said simply. "Did Bones write a new book?"

"Something like that." He said. Parker turned the blue paper cover over to read the title and whistled.

"Heavy." He commented.

"Go away, I'm supposed to be editing." Booth waved him back to where he had just come from. Parker walked over to the bar and dropped a bottle of scotch and a box of tissues on the table. Booth gave his cheeky 15 year old son a glare.

"Just in case." He said innocently. "Call me if you need me." He said as he patted his father on the shoulder and walked back to his room.

OOOOO

It was all there. From their first case with Gemma Arrington to their last with Lauren Eames, every significant milestone, every post-case conversation over drinks, every lesson they had taught each other, and every scar they had obtained while saving the other. It took Booth three days to get through it.

There were times when he was greedy to understand her thoughts, like a particular chapter entitled 'A purposeless life' about Sully and 'Buried Alive' detailing her time with Hodgins underground. Inside the chapter was a note that he had never read, addressed to him, which she had scanned into the pages. She had thought it fitting at the time to write it on the dedication page, which was also addressed to him. Seeing the bloodstains on the paper had stopped his heart. He didn't know how, but somewhere along the way, he had forgotten just how close to death the two scientists had come. The note confirmed what he had chosen to forget.

_Booth,_

_We have decided to blow the windshield out of the car. This will lead to two possible outcomes, either we will be able to climb out to safety, or we will be rendered unconscious. If you are reading this letter, the latter must have occurred. We have left all of the evidence that we have within the pages of my book. The soil sample text may or may not have reached you, but that is all we know. _

_I knew that you would find us. Hodgins called it faith, but I prefer to think of it as experiential evidence. You've never let me down, Booth. Thank you for searching, for finding the answers. Hodgins and I cannot thank you enough. _

_I know that as you read this, you will be filled with the Catholic guilt that I always mock you for. Please, don't worry about whether or not you might have found us sooner. We did everything we could to prolong the inevitable, but you can all move forward knowing that we are quite at peace right now as we write these letters. We beat him Booth. We stayed alive for roughly an extra 90 minutes. I'm satisfied leaving this world knowing that you and the team will solve this case and bring whoever did this to justice._

_I'm sorry that I never got the chance to tell you this in person, but I want you to know that being your partner and friend for the last year has been the highlight of my life. You have shown me a world outside of my own and for that, I can never repay you. You are a great man Booth and I am better off for having known you. _

_Love, _

_Bones_

He must have re-read that letter thirty times before being able to continue on with the story. However, there were also moments during the book when he couldn't stand to read another word. The chapter 'The Heart of the Matter', which detailed Sweets' unpublished book, her refusal of his proposal to try for a different outcome, and their mutual decisions to leave the country, took him six hours to get through. It was as if he was being put through the experience of her rejection all over again, except now he knew why she had chosen to do so. She wrote of her mother's video tape that she had made for her on her 16th birthday and the impact that her parents' relationship had had on her own.

"_This is a hard, hard world. It was my insistence to leave you kids. Max would have kept us together. Fought until the end. I'm not sure he'll ever forgive me for that. So please Temperance, I need you to forgive me, and if you can't forgive me, I beg you honey, forgive your father, cause he is a very good man. Remember this: you were cherished in this world. Adored. What I did to you may have been wrong, but I did it out of love. I did it out of love."_

She wrote how Booth was supposed to be the fighter and she, being her mother's daughter, was supposed to be the cool, calculated one. He hadn't told her that he loved her. He hadn't told her that he didn't want her to change. He basically hadn't fought for her and she had taken it to mean that he was simply being impulsive, gambling with something that couldn't be gambled with.

He had shut the book at that point and gotten angry: angry at himself, angry at her for not understanding his intentions, angry at time for everything that might not have happened had he explained himself better or if she had been willing to take a chance on him anyway.

Eventually, he had picked up the book again and when he did, this time he was met with an unbearable sadness. Her confession of hope when returning to the States, only to discover his relationship with Hannah, was the most heart-wrenching part of the book for him. He now heard her desire to start again in her choice of words: 'no inclination for sex or romance', but at the time, he had no idea that she would come back wanting to try again. He had honestly believed she would never let him into her life in that way. Seeing both of their words in writing, being able to really analyze them without the heat of the moment diluting their effects, nearly stopped him from finishing.

The last chapter, 'Three days', described their last case together, the insanity that she had felt and the lessons that Micah, a night watchman, and Lauren, a dead doctor, had finally gotten her to understand. He was surprised to read about a conversation that had occurred between her and Rebecca years before about missed moments and opportunities to catch fire. She wrote that she hadn't fully understood the advice until that point in her life. She also wrote about the pain she had felt when Booth had told her of his love for Hannah and used the words "those are the facts". Her entire life she had fought for the facts and to hear those specific words out of his mouth at that particular moment could only be described as ironic. He had intended to comfort her with the familiar phrase, play to her love of logic, but now, he knew just how hurtful his words had truly been for her.

Aside from swooping in at the right moment to save her life, he found that he was relatively left out of that final chapter. It was fitting considering he was relatively out of her life at that point in their relationship. The book ended on a slightly hopeful note. Finally feeling absolved of her guilt and regrets towards him after her confession in his car, and refusing to have any more in the future, she took the lessons that she had learned and packed up to start a new life in Chicago. Their last fight was never mentioned. He supposed an ending like that would be considered a literary mistake on her part. As he closed the manuscript, he realized something.

He hadn't picked up the red pen once.

Like everything that she had ever written, it was excellently done. Unlike everything else, it was all true. Every word on every page brought him right back to the scenes as if they were a movie playing in his mind. He wasn't even sure what he remembered individually and what her book told him had happened. It all blended into the real story of what had occurred between them.

OOOOO

When Brennan opened her door, she was surprised to see Booth standing on the other side of it. After a six year absence, it was still unnerving to see him just show up out of the blue. He simply held up the manuscript, as if that were the only explanation needed for his appearance on her doorstep.

"I finally finished." He said as he walked into her living room.

"And?" She asked, unsure if she wanted to know. Booth watched as she began fidgeting with her hands, clearly nervous to hear what he had to say. He sighed and sat down.

"It was a lot to take in." He said honestly. She nodded, expecting that result.

"It took me three years to be satisfied with the results." She admitted. "The fact that you read it in three days is quite impressive." She sat down across from him on the couch and turned to face him. "Tell me the truth, what did you think? Did you find any discrepancies?"

"Not one." He said. "I can't believe there was so much I didn't know about you." He said. "If I had known this back then, things would have been a lot different." He said, honestly meaning it.

"I didn't even know it back then." She said. "Sweets actually was quite helpful throughout the whole process. I think the baby duck has finally grown up." She smiled. Booth chuckled at the long lost nickname.

"Speaking of cases, are you still working with Wentworth and the Chicago branch?" He asked nonchalantly. He didn't want her to think he was upset with her, but Brennan looked downright shocked at his question. "They're my colleagues, Bones. Word was bound to get back to me."

"I didn't…" She stuttered, wondering just how much he knew.

"It's okay. You have way too much talent to just be teaching grad students. I feel safer in the world knowing that you are out there catching bad guys." He said, hoping to sound sincere. She clearly looked relieved at his assurance. He really did want her to be happy but he couldn't lie, it had felt like a knife to the gut when he had first learned that she was working cases without him.

OOOOO

"_Agent Booth?" A strange man, only a few years younger than himself, knocked on his office door. _

"_Yes. How can I help you…?"_

"_Special Agent Wentworth from the Chicago offices." He introduced himself. "I'm here about Dr. Temperance Brennan." Booth barely fought back the bile that jumped into his throat at the mention of her name._

"_Is everything okay?" Booth asked._

"_Oh! Yes. Don't worry." He said, realizing that he had startled the man. "I just finished a case with her help and she spoke so highly of you, I had to stop by and introduce myself."_

"_Oh." He said, not sure how to proceed. "Please, come in, sit down." He stood up and gestured to a chair. "I didn't know she was working with the FBI again." _

"_She's not. At least, not like she was in the past. She's more of a consultant on really tough or emergency cases. In fact, she refused twice before we explained our first case. We had a serial killer who was giving us hell with his remains and we begged her to make an exception. Only took her thirty-six hours with the skeletons to give us murder weapon, location, the works. I think she missed the work though, took to it like a fish to water."_

"_That sounds like her. Steep learning curve." He said with a small smile at the inside joke, his pride for her rising to the top over the other emotions he was currently battling. "Chicago's treating her well then?" He asked, praying the question came off casually._

"_I honestly couldn't tell you. She's all business that one." Booth nodded. _

"_Yeah." He said, knowing her better than anyone else ever would. _

"_I was wondering how she works undercover." He said. "We had never considered using anthropologists, but given their training and their ability to blend in and observe a culture, it might actually be useful to do some training with our team." He said._

"_Oh well, Bones, you know, she sees things that others don't, that's for sure." He said. "But sometimes, the scientist in her… She's no good with gray areas." He summed up. "Training would be good, she's an excellent teacher, but I wouldn't take normal scientists out into the field. Her talent made her a special case."_

"_I got that. Well, we will have to see if we can beg her indulgence one more time." He said as he stood up. "It was a pleasure to meet you Agent Booth." He said as he shook his hand. "I'll be sure to let Dr. Brennan know how highly you recommend her." Booth paused, wondering what he could possible say in return. He knew that normally, this would be the part of the conversation where he would tell Agent Wentworth to give his regards to Brennan. Under the circumstances, he couldn't say that. His first communication with her in years could not be through someone else. Instead, he went with what he found to always be useful: his charm smile._

"_The pleasure was all mine, Agent. Thanks for stopping in." A flash of his smile and a firm handshake and the agent was none the wiser. _

OOOOO

Parker walked into his father's apartment and threw his bag down in his bedroom doorway as he made his way into the living room.

"Hey kid." Booth said at the sound of his footsteps coming down the hall.

"Hey." He returned on autopilot before noticing their guest. "Hey!" Parker exclaimed more happily as he saw Brennan sitting on the couch. She smiled at his surprised face. "You're here!"

"Yes I am." She said, glancing at Booth out of the corner of her eye.

"Welcome back." Parker walked over to her and gave her a hug.

"Thank you. It's good to be back." She said with a smile. The doorbell rang and Booth got up.

"That's the pizza." He said as he went to answer the door.

"I was just telling Mom that you were back in town. We remembered your last visit when you came to say goodbye." Booth paused, his sniper hearing on alert as he multi-tasked paying for the pizza and eavesdropping. Brennan glanced towards the front door, knowing that Booth was probably listening, even if she couldn't see him to verify it.

"It wasn't exactly fair to make your father explain what had happened and I wanted to make sure that you knew that I wasn't just abandoning you, so I decided the best thing to do would be to visit you at your mother's. I tried to explain that I was moving to Chicago because I had gotten a new job and that I wouldn't be able to live in DC anymore."

"You apologized for leaving me without a pool." Parker remembered with a smile as he looked over at her. She smiled back, unable to resist his wide grin. "And I'll never forget what you said next. You told me to take care of Dad." He added with a glance towards the kitchen. "And you told me that he might be lonely with you moving so far away so it was my responsibility to cheer him up if he was sad." Brennan nodded.

"I remember. You looked at me, so seriously, and you nodded. You promised that you would give him lots of extra hugs." Parker smiled in embarrassment at his child-like answer.

"I kept my promise." He assured her with a smile.

"Of course you did. You're a Booth." She said as if it were the only logical explanation. Booth took the pizza into the kitchen under the pretense of getting plates and drinks but really, he needed a moment to process their conversation and hear the rest of it. "Then I said goodbye, and you gave me a hug and I held on just a bit too long because I assumed that I would never see you again." She felt the tell-tale tingling in the bridge of her nose that signaled her impending tears so she took a deep breath. "You were the hardest person to say goodbye to." She informed him.

"Really?" He said, surprised. She nodded.

"You were so young and I knew that you wouldn't understand." She paused. "When I got into the cab, I started to cry and I didn't stop until I got to the airport." Parker was silent for a minute, but then he opened his mouth to speak and shut it again. Brennan waited for him to continue.

"Why did you really go?" He asked quietly. Booth stood in the kitchen, wanting to hear her reply.

"I didn't know what else to do. I needed a change." She said, not wanting to tell him too much. "The job just seemed like the best option at the time." Parker wanted to say something, but he didn't know what to say and he certainly didn't have all the facts.

"I'm glad you're back now." He said, forcing a smile out of the anthropologist.

"Me too." She said. She took a deep breath and glanced towards the kitchen. "I should go help your father carry things out." She stood up and walked towards the kitchen, choosing to see Booth one on one after her confession to Parker. Sure enough, Booth was standing in the kitchen, his hands on the counter in front of him. He turned when she walked in and without a word, he reached over and hugged her to him, boundaries be damned. She was surprised by the action and wasn't sure how to respond.

"You have a beautiful heart, Bones." He told her quietly as he looked into her eyes, his large hands covering her shoulders. "A big, beautiful heart." Brennan's throat began to swell as she heard the awe in his voice. They stood there for a brief moment, before Booth finally realized what they were doing and removed his hands from her shoulders. He turned around and reached into the cupboard for the plates. Brennan stared at his back, wondering what the Hell had just happened between them before taking his lead and staying busy. She moved forward and reached into another cupboard for the glasses. She was relieved to find that they hadn't moved since the last time she had been here so many years ago. It was nice to know that some things would never change.


	4. Many Worlds Since Then

**A/N: This chapter title comes from the song "Secrets" by Alexa Woodward**

OOOOO

After his week of constant revelations with Brennan, Booth was starting to feel emotionally exhausted. Rehashing the past and learning about all of the new insights they both possessed was taking its toll. There was only one thing in the world that could make him feel like a new man again and that was the birth of his newest goddaughter.

Kathryn "Katie" Rose Hodgins was born on Friday, February 11th, 2016 and she was the spitting image of her mother. There was something about holding a newborn baby that restored your faith in humanity. Surely, something this precious meant that there was hope left in the world. After one particularly hard day at work, he decided that a trip to the Hodgins' house was exactly what he needed. He hadn't seen the family since they had been in the hospital and he figured a quick drop by might be exactly what Angela and Hodgins needed.

"Hey stranger." Angela said as she opened the front door and gave him a hug.

"How are you doing?" He asked.

"Better once I learned of your reunion with my best friend." She said, clearly wanting his side of the story.

"She told you about that, huh?"

"This afternoon. I have to say it was about damn time." She said, managing to give him her pointed look despite her exhaustion.

"Where's my girl?" Booth changed the subject, rubbing his hands together in mock anticipation. Angela smiled.

"In the nursery. Hodgins took MJ to the park. He was feeling neglected." Booth smiled.

"I'll take him to a hockey game some time. We haven't done that for a while." Booth said, wanting to spoil the young child.

"He's five. He won't last 40 minutes at a hockey game."

"That's okay. We get up and walk around, buy stuff at the gift shop. I teach him about old players. It's all about the experience." Angela smiled as she stopped short of the nursery doorway.

"We're lucky to have you Booth." She told him, meaning it.

"Hey, take it from someone who knows: it takes a village." He smiled and stepped around the corner and into the nursery. He was surprised by the lack of light in the room. It was lit only by a small lamp in the corner and Brennan was sitting in a rocking chair, the pink bundle held up to her shoulder sleeping soundly. She was rubbing the infant's back and leaning her cheek against the soft fluff of black curls that peeked over the top of the blanket. Booth stopped suddenly as he took in the scene, his footsteps refusing to disrupt the peaceful moment in front of him. He couldn't help but think about what a shame it was that Brennan had never had children, but that triggered another bout of guilt that he couldn't deal with right now. Brennan glanced up and acknowledged his presence with a smile.

"Hi." She mouthed almost silently. Booth simply raised his hand as he peeked at his god-daughter. 'You've met Katie?" She asked.

"Oh yeah. We go way back. Don't we, baby girl?" He whispered as he took his final step forward. Brennan removed the blanket from around her face so that he could see her.

"Do you want to hold her?" She asked. Booth shook his head, not wanting to disturb her but she handed the newborn over to him anyway. He cradled her like a pro, his fathering instincts coming rushing back to him, despite the fact that his own son was fifteen years old.

"Hi little one." He said softly, not wanting to wake her up. "Remember me? I'm your godfather." He told her. "It's my job to scare away all of your potential boyfriends with my gun." Brennan smiled. She knew that he was Michael's godfather; that had been determined before she had left for Chicago, but she was glad to know that her god-children were going to be taken care of by such a good man. "Your brother will explain everything when you get a little older." He assured her. At seeing his natural charm at parenthood, Brennan felt her stomach twist and suddenly, being in the same room with him felt suffocating. She left the room, hoping to get a breath of fresh air in a new environment.

"Hey." Angela said happily at the sound of her friend's appearance in the kitchen. "Did Booth steal your turn?" But one look at Brennan and she knew something was wrong. "Honey." She said as she went to wrap Brennan in a hug. She didn't fight it but she refused to cry.

"I just couldn't be in there…" She said simply. Angela pulled away and nodded.

"I was waiting for this." She sighed. "If being here is too hard for you..."

"No, I want to be here. I just didn't anticipate being here…with him." Angela nodded. They heard Booth's footsteps down the hall and they paused.

"I'm heading out." He said to the women in the kitchen. He could feel the tension in the air, but he chose to ignore it. After all, he was a pro at covering stress with charm.

"Alright. Thanks for stopping by Booth." Angela said.

"I'll be right behind you." Brennan added and he nodded and headed for the front door.

"Are you going to talk to him?" Angela asked when the coast was clear.

"I'll think about it." She said.

OOOOO

Booth stood outside waiting for Brennan to finish her conversation with Angela. Her sudden disappearance in the nursery had stirred memories of word games and hallucinations and it dawned on him that this might be really hard on her. They should probably talk about that too. At this point, what was one more issue to work out? He paused his thoughts as she walked out of the house and joined him in the driveway.

"It wasn't in the book." He said, hoping she would understand.

Brennan stared at him, trying to uncover what he meant. He was leaning against his car, his hands stuffed into his pockets, and he looked deep in thought. Judging by the look on his face, she knew that it must be serious, whatever he was referring to. He turned his head just enough to look at her. "My, um, donation?" He said, clearing up the confusion. The pain in her eyes didn't go unnoticed and he felt a stab of guilt. "I regret it sometimes, you know? You should have been a mother." He told her.

"Booth, can we not…?" She was too spent to talk about this right now.

"I'm serious, Bones. I see you with Parker, and especially with the Hodgins' kids and I just, I can't help but think that you should have had the opportunity to experience that yourself." She sighed.

"I appreciate the sentiment, but looking back and knowing what I know now, I think not having a child with you was one of the best decisions I ever made. I didn't know what I was asking for. I had no idea about the magnitude of my decision."

"Things would have been so different for us." He said, knowing it was true. "If we had had a child, we would have been forced to make things work, we couldn't have fled the country when things got hard."

"And the FBI would have broken us up." She added. "Infinity goes on forever in both directions, Booth." She told him. "There's no point in discussing it." He stared at her, his brows furrowed.

"Bones..." He said, surprised by her outburst. She sniffed and crossed her arms. "What's wrong?" He asked. He put her hand on her wrist and she squeezed her eyes shut, really not wanting to have this conversation with him in a driveway. "I'm sorry if I…"

"No, it's not your fault. You don't know." She said, feeling bad for snapping at him.

"Don't know what?" She took a deep breath and he waited for her to explain. The silence felt like hours, but he waited for her to feel comfortable.

"I was pregnant." She said quietly. "Three years ago." Booth could have sworn he felt his heart stop beating in his chest. "I didn't even know it until it was too late." She closed her eyes and shook her head. "I collapsed during one of my classes and was taken to the emergency room. It was an ectopic pregnancy, where the egg stayed in my fallopian tube." She explained. "I was only a few weeks along, but as the fetus grew, the tube burst and the damage was severe enough… I can't have children." She said as she wiped the tears out of her eyes, hating herself for crying about it. Booth acted without thinking and wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly to his chest. She closed her eyes, wanting to take comfort in him, but knowing that even he couldn't fix the pain that she felt.

"Please tell me you weren't alone for that." He begged her. "Tell me that you had someone…"

"Angela flew out and stayed with me." She reassured him as she pulled away from him.

"What about…?" He asked, knowing it wasn't his place to pry.

"The father?" She finished. "He never knew." She said. "We had broken things off already and there really was no point in telling him considering the facts."

"I'm so sorry." He said, meaning it with every ounce of sincerity he could muster.

"The only thing I could think of at the time was how thankful I was that this didn't happen with us." She admitted. "Losing a child I hadn't planned for was bad enough but if I had lost your child…" She couldn't even bring herself to complete the sentence. Booth's heart broke all over again. "And you would have irrationally blamed yourself for any pain or damage caused." Her voice cracked, knowing it was true. "It would have been terrible." She said. He held her tighter to him, wanting her to know that he was there.

"It wasn't your fault either, Bones. Things just happen. We don't know why, but they do." He spoke softly in her ear. She pulled away and glanced toward the house, watching as a curtain fluttered in the window. They both knew they were being watched.

"Can we go somewhere?" She asked. "Drive somewhere?" Booth nodded without another word and opened the car door for her.

OOOOO

Booth pulled off onto a gravel road and didn't stop until they hit a small picnic clearing. It was appropriately abandoned, being eight o'clock on a February night. They sat in silence for a bit and then Booth couldn't help but chuckle to himself. Brennan looked over at him, surprised by his laughter.

"What?" She asked.

"Do you remember when Parker broke his wrist?" Booth asked her with a smile. The question took Brennan completely off-guard, but she nodded, almost imperceptibly. "He was seven. He was terrified." He said, remembering the scene. "Hell, I was terrified!" She nodded, remembering how secretly panicked Booth had been, although he didn't reveal it to her until Parker was gone. "And you met us at the hospital and you brought those markers from Angela, so he could color and write on his cast." He smiled at the memory. "And you sat down and you showed him his x-rays and you explained that he had broken his carpal bones."

"And he thought I said carpet bones." She smiled. Booth nodded.

"And you wanted to laugh but you held it in and you corrected him, but in such a kind way that I just stared at you for a minute." He said. "You turned your head and smiled at me and then went back to signing his cast." He shook his head. "I think I had always known, but in that moment, I knew that I was a lost cause." Brennan realized what he was saying and she couldn't help but be shocked by his honesty. A little voice in the back of her mind reminded her of what he was doing. What he had always done.

_You have to offer up something of yourself in return._

She had revealed something deeply personal and now, he was doing the same. Her heart clenched in her chest at the gesture. Once she had gotten over the initial shock, his words fully sunk in.

"Booth, that, that was before your brain tumor." She realized. He knew what she was getting at, but he let her mind work through it anyway. "You weren't in love with me until after your brain tumor. Sweets said that it wasn't until the dream that you realized…"

"You're going to listen to Sweets? After all that we've been through with him?" Brennan conceded that point and lowered her gaze for a second to gather her racing thoughts. "When did you first know, you know, that you loved me?" He stumbled on the words, still unable to believe that she could have ever felt that way about him. She took his question to heart, considering it carefully.

"When you died." She said quietly. "I had always known that we had… something, but the thought of never seeing you again caused me great distress. I realized then that I was more than just your partner, but I told myself that it was because we were a family. I would have been just as distraught if Angela or Hodgins were killed. Whether or not that was true, at least in the same way I felt towards you, I don't know." She said.

"That was years before you told me." He said as he sat back into his seat. She nodded.

"Do you think if we had…"

"Booth." She admonished him.

"Right. Both directions." He reminded himself as he stopped his train of thought. She was right. What was done was done. Still, it felt like such a waste. He thought back on her quote from Rebecca in her memoir. They had missed a lot of moments in their time together, but he knew that if they had been able to get their act together, they would have caught fire. Her book. The thought struck him like lightening and he put two and two together.

"Bones, you said it took three years to write your book?" She nodded. "The last three years?" She nodded again. The failed pregnancy had been the catalyst for her to write the memoir.

"I quit my job after…I couldn't go back to that room." She looked down, ashamed and he reached out for her hand. "I needed to know why I had ended up where I had. As much as I hate psychology, I thought that if I got the whole story on paper, I could see the cause and effects of my actions. I wanted to know what I had done wrong." She started to tear up again and Booth reached over and wrapped an arm around her. They sat in silence for a long time. Finally, she decided to speak. "Would it be strange if I told you that I missed laying my head on your shoulder?" She asked him quietly. Booth simply smiled and shook his head. "I find it to be extremely comforting, even now."

"I missed it too. And the smell of your shampoo." He teased her. She smiled despite herself and sighed.

"Thank you Booth." He didn't know the exact reason why she was thanking him, but he nodded anyway. In the end, it didn't matter.

OOOOO

**A/N 2.0: I wrote the bulk of this chapter last winter before certain events in Season 6. Please keep that in mind. I refused to change my original idea because I like the direction this went, so please don't take it the wrong way. Whatever my opinion of the season 7 storyline, I don't want anyone to think that I'm trying to kill off any babies. I'm not a sociopath, I promise. **


	5. The Stories of My Scars

**A/N: Today's chapter title comes from the song "Right Moves" by Josh Ritter. The entire second verse won't fit in the chapter heading so I had to cut it down, but go and listen to him. His music is wonderful. You know what else is wonderful? All of you people for not lighting your torches and grabbing your pitchforks after reading the last chapter. It's a testament to your awesomeness and I thank you. **

**This one is for Baileyjane, who waited ever so patiently AND apologized for being Canadian, which in and of itself is such a Canadian thing to do. :) **

OOOOO

"Booth." He said gruffly as he answered his phone.

"Thank you for my flowers." Angela said with a smile. "You didn't have to do that."

"Yes I did. Bones told me all about how you took care of her when I couldn't. You deserve all that and more."

"Well, I'm glad that she's finally talking about it." Angela said as she shifted the child on her lap. "At the time, I nearly called Caroline to ask if she would defend me if I murdered a Special Agent of the FBI."

"FBI?" Booth said, and she could practically see him furrowing his eyebrows. It was then that she realized that she had said too much. She closed her eyes. "Ange? Who was it?"

"Booth, I…"

"Angela." He said, more impatiently now, not willing to mess around. "What happened?" She sighed.

"I just knew that Brennan had met someone via work. I just assumed the college, but it wasn't until after I flew out to be with her that I realized why she had kept him a secret."

"He was FBI."

"Special Agent Jason Wentworth." Angela said bitterly. Booth felt like he had been kicked in the gut. Wentworth? He had invited him into his office and shaken hands with the bastard. "Apparently, they went undercover together and one thing led to another. Despite the flirting, it was a one-time thing and they agreed to leave it at that. Brennan knew that she could never date anyone in the FBI and she regretted letting it get out of hand the way that it did." She could tell Booth was too quiet so she stopped talking. "Booth, are you okay?" She said, knowing that he wasn't.

"I met him." He said simply. Angela's eyes widened and she nearly dropped the phone.

"What?"

"He came to my office and asked about Bones' undercover skills. I had no idea that she was working for the FBI so I gave him some canned answer about scientists in the field and how she was a special case." He rubbed his face with his hands as another realization hit him. "Oh my God."

"What?" Angela asked, concerned.

"I told Bones that word had gotten back to me about her working at the Chicago branch. She had looked terrified. I assumed that it was because she had gotten caught working with someone else, but now…"

"Oh God." Angela said. "Nothing can ever be simple between you two, can it?" She said, blaming each of them for this ridiculously twisted story.

"I gotta go." He said as he hung up the phone and practically ran out of his office.

OOOOO

Brennan was surprised to hear pounding on her door. She was in the middle of packing for her return to Chicago and she abandoned her open suitcase to answer the door.

"Booth." She said, surprised to see him.

"I didn't know it was Wentworth." He said.

"What?" Her face went pale.

"When I told you that word got back to me about you working with him, I had no idea that he was…" He stopped. "He came to my office after you consulted that first case for them. He wanted to know about your undercover work, he asked me about whether or not I thought that you would train their undercover team. When Angela told me his name, I realized why you looked so panicked when I mentioned his name the first time. I knew that you were working with him but I had no idea that you slept with him."

"Okay." She nodded, unsure of why he looked so panicked. Of course he hadn't known. How could he?

"Okay." Booth, seemingly satisfied that she understood his sincerity, finally looked around at her place. It was as spotless as when he first walked in a few weeks ago. The open bag on her couch told him everything that he needed to know. "You're leaving." He said, the slight accusatory tone in his voice surprising him.

"Booth…"

"No, I mean, you live in Chicago now. It makes sense that you are going back." He said, convincing himself that it was logical. "But I guess I didn't realize you were leaving so soon." He still couldn't shake that annoyed tone in his voice. What had he been expecting, that she would stay here for him? That they could just restart their friendship and get a do-over on all their wasted chances? He didn't even know what he wanted from her yet. Still, he knew that he wanted more time to figure it out.

"It's been two weeks." She said simply, unsure of what else to say. "I wasn't going to leave without saying goodbye or anything, I was just pack..."

"Stay." He said, shocking her.

"What?"

"What's in Chicago that isn't in DC?"

"Booth…" She was stalling and he knew it.

"I'm serious Bones. You belong here, you always have. Your family is here, I'm here." He attempted to persuade her. "I let you go last time and it was the biggest mistake of my life. I'm not going to make it again. It's your call but you need to know that I want you here."

"Why?" She asked the forbidden question.

"We're just getting to know each other again but… we need more time." He said, his voice pleading with her. She took a step closer to him.

"Why?" She asked again, softer this time. Her eyes fell onto his chest briefly before looking back up into his eyes. He knew that she needed a reason, even if it was a ridiculous one. He racked his brain, trying to come up with something that was worthy of her. She placed her hand over his heart and Booth stopped breathing. He had known compatibility with another person, even chemistry, but the electricity that was blazing between them was unlike anything he had ever experienced with anyone else. His hand reached out and touched her face and without another word, he closed the distance between them and kissed her. When his head was completely spun around, he pulled away again and opened his eyes.

"Stay." He requested again, his voice barely above a whisper and she nodded before diving back in for another kiss. They had kissed before, but never like this. This was not desperate, forced or rushed. This kiss was bountiful, an outpouring of everything they had ever held back from one another. She sought comfort, a place to call home after her voluntary sabbatical from his arms. He wanted to prove that he was worth the chance that she was taking in staying. He smirked as he felt her small nimble fingers tugging at the back of his shirt. He let her untuck him before pulling away to yank his tie off. As they came back together, Booth let his own hands stray under her t-shirt and caress the soft skin of her waist. Suddenly, Brennan broke the kiss.

"Wait." Brennan pushed herself away.

"What's wrong?" Booth asked, his brain still foggy from their make-out session. She looked embarrassed at her actions, but she didn't say anything. Her arms were crossed over her stomach defensively and she couldn't look him in the eye. He waited her out, wanting her to be comfortable when she did choose to speak again.

"I haven't…I mean…Not since…" She was finding the words nearly impossible to say. She watched as comprehension dawned on his features. She took a deep breath and tried to put together an entire sentence. "There are scars." She finally said. Booth hesitantly took one step forward, not wanting to scare her. Without saying a word, he unbuttoned his shirt and let it drop to the ground. He pointed to his arm.

"Piece of shrapnel during the war." He explained as he began unbuckling his pants. "This one came when my brother and I were playing soldiers in the backyard unsupervised." He said as he pointed to his hip. She remembered seeing the scar over a decade ago. Standing in his boxers, she watched as he took off his socks and pointed to his ankle. "Skate blade, playing hockey." He said. He turned around and showed her his back. "This is the one I hate the most. Back surgery two years ago." He pointed to the relatively fresh scar that ran long his spine. "It was the one that finally put me behind a desk." He said. Brennan looked up at him in surprise at the information. She had no idea that he had changed positions since she had left. "Everyone has scars, Bones. I have more than most." He assured her. He had always been self-conscious of the reminders of his past, but with her, it was more like a walk down memory lane. "Do my scars bother you?" He asked.

"No." She paused as she gazed over his body. "Actually, that's not true." She admitted as she took a step forward and ran the pad of her finger over the scarred hole in his chest, the look in her eyes suddenly indescribably sad. "You forgot one." Booth closed his eyes briefly to hide from the pain he saw there. "I hate this one." She confessed quietly, running her finger around the outside of the small circle.

"Then don't look at it." He said, pulling her chin up to meet his gaze. "Think of it as a freckle." He suggested as he kissed her jaw lightly, wanting to distract her. She pulled away and stared at him, wondering how he could make a joke out of something so important.

"I can't." She said as she placed her hands on his chest, just as she had that night to save his life. He watched, morbidly fascinated by her actions. "Looking at it now, it seems like such a small hole." She said. "It's hard to believe that something so small could do so much damage."

"Hey, don't even go there." He said as he pulled her in close and kissed the top of her head. She settled her head onto his chest and listened to his heart beating for a moment. It was comforting, in the way that only Booth's embrace could be and she felt the tension and fear melting away. She pulled away once again, and from the look on Booth's face, it was too soon for his liking. She smiled at his expression before kissing the corner of his frown. Her face set as she made her decision. She peeled off her shirt and waited for his reaction. She was met with the most intense gaze as he examined her body once and then met her eyes again. Without a word, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her passionately.

"You are the most beautiful thing I have ever seen." He said reverently and breathless as he stroked her cheek. "Even now, after all these years, you still stop me dead in my tracks." She closed her eyes as he kissed her forehead.

"Make love to me." She requested quietly. He pulled away, surprised to hear her use those terms, especially now. "Please?"

"I do love you, Bones." He assured her. "No matter what else has happened between us, I have always loved you."

"I know." She said, this time it was her turn to reassure him with a kiss. She took his hand and led him towards her bedroom.


	6. Blue Moon

**A/N: This chapter title comes from the song "Blue Moon", which always makes me think of one of my favorite movies: "Selena". Enjoy!**

Booth was a sound sleeper. This surprised Brennan. She figured with all of his sniper training, he would be alert all of the time. Then again, she appreciated the fact that she had the opportunity to analyze his features in the quiet of the night. The lines on his face seemed to disappear in his peaceful slumber. He still had the most attractive shoulders and chest she had ever seen, and she had seen many. She unconsciously bit on her lip as she let her eyes stray to the sheet wrapped around his waist. He was still in very good shape for someone in his forties. She wondered about his back and what it was that he did now that he was no longer in the field. She made a mental note to ask him about it later. She glanced at the clock on her bedside table. It was eleven. She should be sleeping, especially after the evening's activities but she couldn't help but feel exhilarated, maybe even a little anxious. What had occurred between them was life-changing to say the least and she wasn't sure what would come next. Chicago was so very far away from DC.

"How long were you planning on staring at me?" Booth muttered, never opening his eyes or revealing the fact that he was awake. Brennan smiled at the surprise. She slid over him and kissed his jawbone lightly.

"I'm making up for lost time." She defended her actions with a smile. He wrapped his arm around her waist and held her closer to him, reveling in the feeling of getting to hold her. He finally peeked one eye open and took in her playful smile.

"Aren't you tired?" He asked.

"I function well on very little sleep." She shrugged. "It's why I am able to accomplish so much more than other people." Booth rolled his eyes at her familiar but still shocking level of confidence. "Besides, it's not very often that I have such a good reason to stay awake." She was being flirtatious and downright coy. He loved seeing the playful side of her personality shine through. It made him feel like he was special, worthy of getting to see it in some way that others weren't. He simply hugged her closer and she tucked her head under his chin, willing to be held for the moment.

"You can stare at me whenever you like." He muttered as he closed his eyes again, preferring instead to simply sense her presence. Her scent, her touch, the way her chest expanded against his when she inhaled, it was all Bones. And, for the first time in his life, it was all his to experience firsthand.

"Can I ask you a question?" She asked.

"Mmm." He answered and she wasn't sure if that meant yes or no. Given his lack of a definitive response, she decided to continue.

"You mentioned your back surgery required you to move to a position behind a desk. What do you do now?" She asked. "At the FBI, I mean." She felt ridiculous asking, and he could tell. This was something that he should have told her right away, but how do you tell your former partner that you are now second in command to one of the largest branches of the federal government in existence?

"I'm the Deputy Director. I took over when Cullen retired." Brennan wasn't surprised by this promotion. She knew that Booth was one of the best agents they had, but it was strange to think of him as a desk man. He was such a do-er. She had never seen him sit still in his life, unless he was at the firing range.

"Do you enjoy it?" She asked. He smiled at the question, but he took it seriously.

"I think it was time." He said. "I'm not willing to endanger my life or others just because I don't know when to call it quits. And the pay is better, which is good since Parker is a year away from getting a car and two years away from going to college."

"You didn't answer my question." She said as she sat up, wanting to see his face. He sighed.

"Bones, working with you, with the entire team, those were the best years of my life. Nothing is going to top those years. We had something… magic." He said, fully believing it. "We went through Hell sometimes, but I wouldn't trade those years for anything." Brennan looked down at her comforter, unable to look him in the eye. Cam's words when she arrived back from Maluku haunted her, especially after she moved to Chicago. She felt selfish for leaving the Jeffersonian, especially when so many people depended on her talents.

"Stop it." Booth said as he placed his hand on her chin.

"Stop what?" She asked.

"Stop thinking." He leaned his head against hers and sighed. "I can see the wheels turning and before you know it, you're blaming yourself for something that was so much bigger than just you."

"I shouldn't have walked away." She said as she sat up. "It was selfish."

"Infinity goes forever in both directions." He murmured her own words back to her as he let his hand trail over her hip. His lips grazed her temple and she closed her eyes. "I love you, but if you keep thinking about this, you're going to drive yourself crazy. Trust me, I know. Things just happen, and we have to learn from our mistakes. And when we do, we get rewarded in unexpected ways." He said as he kissed her neck.

"Booth?"

"Hmm?"

"What are your expectations for this?" Booth withdrew from his physical attack on her body to look her in the eye. She was serious.

"Bones, I know what it means to live without you in my life and I don't want to do that anymore. I just…I want you in my life. You're my best friend."

"But you have always wanted a woman who can promise you forever, a marriage and children and I…"

"Shh." He placed his finger on her lip. "No more thinking." He told her. "Tonight is just about you and me getting to experience each other, alright. No thinking. Until the sun comes up, you and I are on a thinking vacation."

"You know that's not really a thing, right?" She said as she gave him a weary look.

"Bones." He sighed exasperatingly as he crawled out of bed. He headed over to the window and he beckoned her to join him. "Come here."

"Why?" She asked, but he didn't answer, just kept his hand outreached. She wrapped herself in a sheet and wandered over to him, simply to soothe her curiosity. He wrapped his arms around her waist and stood behind her so that she was facing out the window. Between the frosted window pane in front of her and Booth's body heat behind her, she shivered and clutched the sheet a little tighter around her chest.

"Look up." He said. She looked up and saw the full moon glowing brightly. "Do you see how the moon reflects off of the snow, sort of, makes it all look blue?" She nodded and his lips came down to her ear. "Drop the sheet." He requested as he pulled her hands apart. She hesitated minutely before doing as he asked. "Now look down." She shifted her attention from the moon to her own body. Sure enough, the moonlight through the window was casting blue light onto her own pale skin. "This is what I get to see." He murmured in her ear. "How do you expect me to think about anything when you are lying next to me looking like that?" He asked as he nibbled on her ear lobe. "It's just not logical." She smiled as she felt his smirk against her skin. She reached her hand up behind her and ran her fingers through his hair.

"What's not logical is the fact that I know that you're changing the subject, but you're so charming I don't care." She grinned as she turned around to face him. Booth backed up a few steps and nodded towards the bed and she simply laughed and shook her head, choosing to wrap her arms around his neck instead. He ran his hands over the small of her back as he kissed her softly.

"I still can't quite believe that you are here, in my hands." He said as he ran a hand through her hair. "This feels like a dream. Maybe you should pinch me." She reached down and pinched his ass.

"Ow. Hey!" His eyes widened at her audacity.

"You asked." She said, her smirk giving her away. In response, Booth threw her to the bed and began to tickle her. She just giggled and tried to slap him away.

"That's going to bruise." He informed her with her hands pinned over her head.

"If you feel the need to retaliate, I would completely understand." She said, arching her eyebrow as she raised the stakes. Booth liked this idea and immediately bent down to mark her. At the sound of her moan, he remembered how much he liked hearing that sound and decided it was his new mission in life to get her to make it as much as possible. He sucked a sweet nipple into his mouth and she let out a breathy gasp in surprise. Oh yeah, that would work too. He gave the other attention and he watched in satisfaction as her back arched ever so slightly off the mattress. As her fingers weaved their way through his hair, he kissed his way down to her belly button, his tongue darting out to tickle her. The orgasmic noise that she made nearly crossed his eyes.

"Again." She demanded. Booth was happy to oblige. "Oh God, lower. Please." She added, the begging lilt to her voice only encouraging him. He hovered above her for a moment, watching her squirm in anticipation. He experimentally trailed a finger along her slick skin, earning him a whimper. He smiled in response. "Booth!" She cried, lifting her hips off the mattress in a vain attempt to meet his mouth.

"Okay, okay." He smirked as he finally lowered his mouth.

"Oh, yes." She cried in victory as his tongue met its target. Her fingers clung desperately to his hair, tugging and pushing him to match her whim. The louder she was, the more he rewarded her. It didn't take a forensic anthropologist to figure out the connection and soon, Brennan was murmuring every nonsensical thing that her brain synapses thought to fire. And when the logical and articulate scientist was completely lost, her world shattered and she drifted back to earth on a hazy cloud of pleasure. She flashed him a tired grin full of satiation as he kissed his way back to her lips.

"That was…" she paused to formulate her thoughts "quite satisfactory." He chuckled at her phrasing.

"You're something else." He whispered as he looked into her eyes.

"Something else?" She asked. "Compared to what?" She chuckled.

"I don't know, you're just..." He stared at her just a bit longer. "You're Bones." He said simply. She wasn't quite sure what the comment was supposed to mean, but judging from the look on his face and the tender way he delivered his answer, it was a compliment. "You're Bones." He repeated, satisfied with that answer.

"I understand. You find that qualifier to be a unique description unto itself, like when I find things to be 'Boothy'." She surmised.

"Exactly." He said. She nodded as she began scooting towards the edge of the bed. "Where are you going?"

"I'm reciprocating." She said with a naughty grin. "It's your turn to stop thinking." Booth sat up to follow her as she moved to the floor. On her knees, she made for a delicious sight. She turned on the lamp by the bed. "Men are, by nature, visual creatures. You'll enjoy this more if you can watch." She informed him, as if he already didn't know.

"Something else." He muttered again as her tongue swept out to wet her gloriously pink lips in anticipation of him. She smirked as she moved within centimeters of his head.

"You love it." She said knowingly before capturing him in her mouth.

"Oh God…" He cried as her tongue teased him. "I do. I really, _really_ do."

OOOOO

She awoke the next morning to Booth kissing her shoulder blade from behind her. She smiled at the affectionate action.

"What time is it?" She asked, refusing to open her eyes to find out.

"Early. I have just enough time to go home and shower before work. I just wanted to say goodbye so you didn't wake up alone and think I had changed my mind." His voice was only half-teasing. "Go back to sleep." Her heart stopped as she realized it was Thursday morning. Her plane left at seven. She groaned.

"I'm supposed to have lunch with Angela today." She said as she sat up, her back still towards him. "And I promised Parker I would meet him at the diner after school to say goodbye." Now it was Booth's turn to freeze. "And, of course, I have to finish packing since I got so… sidetracked last night." She said with a definite glance in his general direction but she worked to put her robe on instead of actually turning to look at him.

"So you're still leaving."

"Booth, my entire life is in Chicago, not to mention nearly everything that I own." She said as she finally turned around. "Speaking of which, I may have to buy another dresser." She said as she glanced around the room. "I don't remember this room being as small as it actually is. Somehow I've acquired a decisively larger wardrobe now that I don't have to wear a lab coat every day."

"Do you know when you are coming back?" He asked.

"As soon as I get everything sorted out, I suppose."

"Bones, look at me." She did as she was asked and for the first time, she saw how nervous he looked. "I'm not going to be able to say goodbye at the airport." Her heart rate accelerated against her will. "Work." She nodded, accepting the lie for what it was. "Will you promise me something?"

"That depends on the promise."

"If you get to Chicago and you change your mind, will you please just tell me?" He asked. "I want to know the truth, no matter what it is."

"I would never lie to you, Booth."

"Thank you." He said as he leaned over and kissed her as if it could be the last time. "And please, be safe?" He requested. She nodded as she watched him walk out of her bedroom.

OOOOO

As she sat in the airport, she glanced down at her watch. She had five minutes before they started to board the plane. She watched out the window as the sun began to set in the west. She wondered if she would get to see the same sight when she landed in Chicago.

"Hey Bones." She glanced up from her chair and saw Booth standing above her.

"Booth, what are you doing here?" She asked, completely shocked to see him. "And how did you get through security?" She asked as she stood up.

"Deputy Director of the FBI, Bones." He said, insulted that she had forgotten so quickly.

"Oh, right."

"I couldn't let you go without saying goodbye in person. I thought that I could, but I was just sitting at my desk staring at the clock every thirty seconds and finally, I just…I wanted you to know something." He got to the point.

"Okay, what's that?" She asked.

"We've only had two experiences in this airport. The first was when I used the TSA to kidnap you and hold you hostage and the other basically led to the downfall of our partnership. I can't even step foot into this place without thinking of both of them." They called for boarding passengers and Brennan glanced back briefly. "My point is: I don't want those memories to be the last thing you're thinking of before you get on that plane. You might change your mind. We need a good memory here, Bones."

"What are you saying?" She asked. He gave a quick look around before he kissed her passionately. When he was convinced her mind was completely befuddled, he pulled away.

"I'm saying that you get one month in Chicago and then I'm tracking you down, whether you want me there or not." He wagged his finger firmly at her and she fought the smile that wanted to appear at the adorably stern action.

"Is that a promise?" She grinned. Booth's heart leapt into his throat as he grabbed her one more time and kissed her again.

"Last call for all passengers boarding flight 164 to Chicago." Brennan turned back.

"I've got to go. I'll call you when I get home." He nodded and let go of her hand. "Oh and Booth?" He waited for her to continue. "Remember that time you surprised me at Reagan and I told you that I loved you?" She smiled. "That's a great memory." He smiled broadly and gave her a wave as she handed her ticket to the man behind the counter and boarded the plane.

She loved him.

Suddenly, the last six years meant nothing. No time, no distance, no stupid mistakes could ever destroy what they had between them and that knowledge was intoxicating. For the first time since meeting her again, Booth had faith that they could overcome any obstacle that came their way. He smiled. They were finally standing on solid ground.


	7. A Light On In Chicago

A/N: This chapter title comes from Fall Out Boy's "Chicago is so two years ago"

It all started with a phone call to assure him that she had made it back safely. It had been eight o'clock in Chicago and she had left it at that. The next night, Booth had called to talk at the same time and before they both knew it, it had become an unspoken agreement that they both built their schedules around. Every evening, Booth would call around nine his time and they would talk about everything and nothing. Sometimes, it was important and regarded Brennan's plans to move back to DC. Sometimes, it was as trivial as each of them ordering in and competing over who had the better Thai food in their hands. No matter what the discussion, each of them spent the better part of three weeks getting to know each other again in the little ways that kept a relationship going.

Tonight, he was late. It was currently 8:10 and she had yet to hear from him. She wondered if she should attempt to call him instead. Then again, that would signify that she was sitting at home waiting for him to call. Despite the fact that she did spend her days looking forward to his next phone call, she didn't want to be that needy. She was Dr. Temperance Brennan for God's sake, she could go a full day without talking to her boyfriend. She glanced at the clock again. 8:11. Had only one minute gone by? She was just about to pick up the phone when it rang.

"Oh thank God." She muttered as she picked up the phone. "Hello."

"Hi, sorry I'm late." She smiled at his immediate apology. "Traffic was terrible."

"There was traffic?" She said. "At nine at night? Was there some sort of accident?" There was a knock on her apartment door and she sighed. "Hold on, Booth. Someone's at the door." She wrenched the door open without a second thought and was shocked to see Booth standing in her doorway, his cell phone in hand.

"How many times have I told you to check the peephole before opening the…oof!" His speech on safety abruptly ended as she jumped into his arms. Her forgotten phone clattered to the ground in her entryway as she kissed him.

"Traffic?" She said. "Really?"

"55 was totally gridlocked." He smiled. "Wait, one more." He requested as he kissed her once again.

"What are you doing here?" She asked as she invited him in.

"Would you be offended if I told you it was for work?"

"Not at all."

"Good, because the guys here have an arsonist that has been wrecking some serious havoc with my life lately and I came to close the file on this guy. However, the happy bonus is that I get to surprise you." She sat down on the couch and motioned for him to join her.

"How long are you in town?"

"I have to work tomorrow, but then it's the weekend. I could stay until Sunday."

"Three days?" She said.

"Three days." He smiled.

"My month isn't even up yet." She grinned.

"Well, three weeks is pretty close." He said.

"It felt longer." She rationalized.

"It really did." He said as he took her in. She looked beautiful, as always, but there was something else about her. She looked comfortable, at home in her surroundings. She was in a pair of yoga pants and a sweatshirt. Her hair was up in that pony tail he had come to know and love. Despite the fact that it was March, there was a fire going in the fire place to keep out the still chilly Chicago weather. "I like your place." He said as he glanced around.

"Thanks." She said as she also gave the room a once over. "I'm debating on whether or not I want to keep it." Booth turned to face her. "I like it here, but it seems a bit superfluous considering the fact that I don't see myself coming back that often."

"You kept your place in DC." He said.

"Yes but I knew that I would be in DC at least a couple of times a year." Booth contemplated that answer as he formed his next question.

"How often did you come back?" He asked, not knowing the answer. "Cam only gave me a heads up when you were going to be speaking at the Jeffersonian."

"When I was working? Hardly at all. These past few years while I was writing the book, I was there more. Probably, six weeks out of the year? I would plan my speaking engagements around talking with Sweets about my latest chapter or stopping by to see Angela and the baby, babies." She corrected herself with a smile.

"When you talked to Sweets, were you ever…" He didn't have to finish his question.

"In the Hoover? No." She said, shaking her head. "He asked me once if I wanted to come up, but I couldn't do that." She shook her head again. "It wouldn't have been fair." He knew that was true. A few months ago, if he had simply run into her in the hallway, he would have been shell-shocked.

"It's funny how much your life can change in two months." He said.

"In a good way?"

"In the best way." He said as he pulled her close for another kiss.

OOOOO

When Booth got out of her shower the next morning, he was surprised to find Brennan coolly reading the newspaper at the table. At hearing him approach, she stood up and looked in the fridge. Booth knew that it was purposely done to avoid looking him in the eye.

"Do you have time to go out for breakfast? I would offer to make you something, but I know how you feel about my nutritional food."

"Look, Bones, if something's bothering you, just tell me." He said as he down at the table.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"Did I make a mistake in coming here?" He wanted to know. "Because if this is too much..."

"No." She said. "No. I like having you here." She said. "It's just, you're here." She said. "In Chicago." He furrowed his eyebrows as he tried to decipher her meaning.

"I'm going to need to buy a vowel." Now it was her turn to furrow her eyebrows. "I don't understand where you are going with this." He clarified.

"Why are you going in to work today?" She said.

"I already told you, to meet with the team that took down this arsonist and put the case to bed."

"Did you know that Wendell Bray is the forensic anthropologist that works with the FBI here? When they decided to bring on a full-time forensic anthropologist at this branch, I turned them down but..." Suddenly, he realized why she looked so ill at ease. He sighed.

"Wentworth assembled the team." He said knowingly and she simply looked down at her hands. He stood up and wrapped his arms around her, holding her for a beat before pulling away. "What do you want me to do?" He asked her, honestly wanting her opinion.

"Your job." She said honestly. "You're a good person, Booth. You can act professionally and the subject of me might not even come up."

"Bones, look at me." He said as he tucked his knuckle under her chin. "What's between us? It's still ours." He promised her. "And what's between you two, that's yours. As far as I'm concerned, that's all I need to know."

"I'm sorry, it's just, I haven't seen him since I broke it off and he doesn't know about what happened. The last thing I need is you being overprotective or possessive, especially when I'm not there to kick you under the table, metaphorically speaking of course." He smiled.

"I'll be on my best behavior, I promise." He whispered as he moved in to kiss her slowly. She let her eyes flutter shut despite her best intentions on being stern. He really was an excellent kisser. She pulled away, remembering why they were having this conversation.

"Remember what happened whenever you and Sully got locked into a room together?" She reminded him. "You can't let that happen again."

"Bones, that was years ago!"

"I'm serious, Booth. He knows how to push buttons. When he does, and he will, just remember that you have me," she said as she leaned in close "just waiting for you to get off work." He felt her lips brush lightly at the base of his jaw and he groaned. "And if you behave yourself, I'll make it worth your while." Her voice was low and rough, making him dizzy from just the sound of it.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah." She said as Booth felt the table behind him. He hadn't even realized they were backing up. She pushed him down into the nearest chair and smiled. "Until then, where do you want to go for breakfast?" She asked. It took Booth longer than it should have to realize what she was asking. Her victorious smirk told him that she knew exactly what she was doing during the entire conversation.

"That's just mean." He whined.

OOOOO

"Deputy Director Booth, it's a pleasure to have you in Chicago, sir." The nameless assistant said as she greeted him with a smile.

"The pleasure is all mine." He said, his charm smile fully in place.

"SAC Hannigan is just finishing a meeting. He will be out with you shortly. Can I get you a coffee or anything while you wait?"

"I'm fine. Thank you." She nodded as she walked over to her desk, clearly keeping an eye on him.

"Deputy Director Booth, welcome to Chicago. Come on in." Hannigan was a few years younger than him, but a good agent. Booth knew that the branch was in good hands with him.

"Please, I hate titles, Booth is fine." He told the man as he shook his hand.

"Alright then, Booth." He tried the name out. "Where would you like to start?"

"I would you be interested in seeing what you found. Maybe meeting with your team?"

"Of course, I know that you worked quite closely with Dr. Brennan in the past."

"We were partners for almost six years." Booth replied.

"As you know, Agent Wentworth worked hand in hand with Dr. Brennan a few years ago on several cases before she retired. It was so successful that when she left, we brought in a forensic anthropologist full time." Hannigan said as they walked down the hallway. He stopped and knocked on an agent's door.

"Come in."

"Agent Wentworth, you've met Director Booth, I believe?"

"Yes sir. It's a pleasure to see you again." He said as he stood up and smiled. Booth could already tell that this meeting would be different than the last. He felt the bitterness in the agent's eyes as Wentworth took him in. This time he knew why Brennan had left DC, who had broken her heart, why he didn't have a chance. This poor man was one of the chosen few who had loved and lost Temperance Brennan and it was Booth's fault.

"Booth?" He did a double take at the now grown man standing in the doorway.

"Booth this is our forensic anthropologist, Dr. Wendell Bray." Hannigan said.

"Dr. Bray." Booth emphasized the title with a grin as he shook his hand.

"I heard you were in the building but I didn't believe it. What brings you to Chicago?"

"Oh you know, I just came to double check your work." He smiled. Wendell outright laughed at the thought and Booth gave in. "Okay fine, but I'm your boss's boss now. At least pretend that I have some authority."

"So what do you say, _boss_? Do you want the simple version or shall I Brennanize you?" Booth chuckled at the old term. He hadn't heard it in years.

"How about a happy medium so these guys can actually follow along?" He said. While Wendell filled him in about the case and how they discovered the evidence to capture the criminal, Booth was nothing short of impressed. He saw and heard pieces of Cam, Hodgins and of course, Brennan in his report. He interjected every now and again with questions to clarify that he understood but for the most part, he followed along.

"And that was enough to get a warrant and bring him in." He concluded with a shrug.

"I never get tired of hearing that." Booth said to both Wentworth and Hannigan, who smiled proudly as if it were their work that solved the case. "You know, Dr. Bray, I have to tell you, you have just made everyone at the Jeffersonian incredibly proud. And you know better than anyone how hard it is to impress them." At the mention of his old employer, Booth could see the slightly guilty and maybe even traitorous look in Wendell's eye. "Don't worry, kid. She knows I'm here." He assured his old friend quietly.

"What?" Booth laughed at the kid's face and nodded.

"It's a long story. What do you say I take you out for lunch and we can catch up?"

"There's a diner down the road." He offered with a grin. "Great pie."

"Good. I'll meet you out front in an hour?" He asked as he looked down at his watch.

"I'll be waiting." Wendell smiled. "Gentlemen." He said as he left the room. Booth nodded before turning to Hannigan and Wentworth. "How much has your solve rate gone up since you hired him?"

"In difficult or cold cases, almost twenty percent." Wentworth said proudly. Booth simply nodded.

"Dr. Bray here has been trained by the best team in the world. He is the second best forensic anthropologist that I've ever seen and I want to be sure that you treat him as such. Anything that he needs, you make sure that he get it, is that clear?" He told the men.

"Yes, sir." They both nodded.

"You've got no idea what kind of full service squint you've got here. He's doing the work of at least three doctors for the price of one."

"He is the only person that Dr. Brennan recommended." Booth smiled. Call her what you would, but Brennan had a soft spot for her interns. They were her people, her family, even if she would go down denying it. She made sure that she took care of her own. Clark had stepped up when she left the Jeffersonian, Daisy had gone on to several ancient digs around the world and from time to time could be seen on the Discovery channel with a brush in her hand and Vincent-Nigel Murray was the forensic anthropologist at Scotland Yard. There was no doubt that they all got to where they were because of the work they did at the Jeffersonian and Booth felt a strange surge of pride to say he knew them when.

"I must say, none of this would have happened if not for your lead in DC. It really changed the way that we operate." Wentworth said. "When I showed up on your door step, it was just a theory, but it really has worked out well."

"Well, you took something that worked and replicated it here. That's always difficult to do, especially with a different team. I'm glad to see you found a way to make it work. The Bureau is better for it."

"Yes, Dr. Brennan was incredibly helpful in the early stages of this project. It's a shame that she no longer felt compelled to do the work. We would have loved to have her on board full time." He said, the undertones of his statement not going unnoticed by Booth. He took a moment to assess the situation. Wentworth clearly knew the role that Booth played in Brennan's choice to stop working with the FBI and most likely knew the role that he played in ending their relationship before it even got started. Booth couldn't blame him for the way that he felt, he would be bitter too. Still, the man spoke of things he knew nothing about. He fought the childish urge to respond with 'She was mine first!' and remembered Brennan's request that morning. Although, sometimes being the better man didn't require being the best man. Booth smiled politely back at Wentworth.

"I'll be sure to pass along your gratitude." This caught Wentworth by surprise and Booth's inner child stuck out his tongue in victory. "She asked for an update on the status of the program so I'm glad to have a great report to bring back tonight."

"Please do." Hannigan said, missing the covert conversation that was going on between the two men entirely. "Tell me, do you think that any persuading could be done to get Dr. Brennan to teach again? New agents found her seminars were actually quite helpful during their orientation." Booth paused, wondering how much he was allowed to say.

"You would have to talk to her about that. Dr. Brennan is actually in the process of moving back to DC." He said, unsure how much trouble he would be in for saying so.

"Really? Is she going back to work for the Jeffersonian?" Hannigan asked.

"I don't believe so." He said. "She just wants to be closer to her friends and family." He smiled. "And I must confess, we are more than happy to have her back home again." Wentworth looked green, whether from illness or envy Booth couldn't say. Maybe a subtle mix of both.

"Well, good for her." Hannigan said. "Agent Wentworth, we'll leave you to your work. Booth, shall we move on?"

"Lead the way." Booth nodded his agreement. "It was nice seeing you again." He added Wentworth's way.

"Deputy Director." Wentworth said coolly. Booth walked out of the office with a smile.


	8. Give Me A Little More You

**A/N: I know, I know…I got stuck. It happens. This is for Biba79 – You never cease to make me smile. **

Booth knocked on Brennan's door that evening and couldn't help but smile when she opened it.

"You know, you don't have to knock." She said in surprise at seeing him.

"It's not my house." He said as he entered her apartment.

"It might as well be." She said as she made her way back to the kitchen, fully expecting him to follow her. "Do you want a drink?" She asked. "I was just about to open a bottle of wine for dinner."

"Sure." He said as she felt his arms wrap around her. She smiled at the interruption and spun in his arms so that she was facing him and kissed him.

"Hi." She murmured.

"How was your day?" He asked.

"It was excellent, thank you for asking. How was yours?" She asked, trying to make the question sound nonchalant.

"Are you asking if I behaved?" He smiled, remembering her promise that morning.

"Did you?" She asked, raising her eyebrow.

"Pretty much." He confessed. Brennan pulled away. "I may have inadvertently let it slip that you were moving back to D.C. to be closer to friends and family." She frowned.

"How is that misbehaving? That's true." She said.

"I just didn't know if you wanted that information out there yet."

"Well, they were going to find out eventually." She pointed out. "Was that it?"

"Yep." Booth said. "I saw Wendell. He's amazing, Bones. You should be very proud of him. He's doing the work of the entire team back home. Analyzing fibers, reading bones, he's like a super squint." Brennan chuckled at the term and rolled her eyes.

"He always showed a lot of potential, Booth. You knew that."

"Yeah, but he's so..." He stopped himself from saying the word normal.

"He reminds you of yourself." Brennan put it kindly.

"Yeah, I mean, he can break everything down for the guys. He knows the science, but he gets right to what the guys need to know. They appreciate that. Do you remember how long it took us to break down that language barrier? Years." He said, answering his own question. "But then, he can turn around and Brennanize like the best of them."

"Brennanize?"

"Speak fluent squint." He grinned. "He calls it Brennanizing."

"Should I be flattered or offended?"

"Oh flattered, absolutely." He laughed. "Do you remember the JFK case? You blew White's mind with your science jibber jabber. You've perfected the art of speaking squint. And I have to say, it's sort of sexy to watch you stun people with your brilliance." He confessed, his eyes sparkling as he eliminated the space between them again.

"Mm, I'll be sure to let Dr. Bray know you think so." She said, raising her eyebrow. Booth chose to ignore her comment entirely and decided to kiss her instead.

"Speaking of sexy," He smiled. "I seem to remember the promise of a reward?" He prodded for more information. Brennan smiled as she extricated herself from his arms and drew an envelope out from her desk. That was not what Booth was expecting and she knew it.

"More will come later." She promised as she made her way back over to him. "But in the meantime, I know how much you enjoy hockey, so I figured this would do." She said as she handed him tickets for Saturday night's Blackhawks game.

"Bones! This is awesome!" He said, touched by the action. "Thank you." He said as he hugged her. "Wait, did you just get these today?"

"Yes. I informed my publisher that I needed tickets and they handled the rest."

"Miraculous." He said with a smile, knowing the word would push her buttons.

"Hardly." She scoffed. "But I'm glad that you are pleased."

"I am." He assured her. "Does this mean that we are finally going on our first date?" He asked.

"First date?" She asked.

"Yeah, I take you out for dinner, we drink, laugh, do some sort of activity together, a date. We seemed to skip right over that part."

"You're such a traditionalist." She commented with a smile.

"You love it." He said, knowing that it was true, even if she refused to admit it.

OOOOO

As soon as they were done with dinner, Booth managed to corner Brennan in the kitchen yet again. The bottle of wine they had shared over dinner had loosened him up just enough that he was getting touchy-feely. And when you had a woman as beautiful as Temperance Brennan at your disposal, this wasn't such a bad side effect.

"Let me help clean up." He offered. "Or better yet, leave it here and I'll clean it up later."

"Booth, you're a guest."

"A guest that showed up unannounced." He reminded her. "It's the least I could do for letting me crash here."

"Is that what you've done? Crashed?" She asked, mocking his choice of words.

"We have 48 hours together. Do you really want to spend it doing the dishes?" He asked. She looked up at his face and suddenly found herself falling victim to his charm smile. God damn, he had a great smile.

"Give me a five minute head start and then meet me in the bedroom." She whispered. Booth nodded and watched as she slowly walked out of the room. He whistled silently to himself. She knew exactly what she was doing to him and that made her so dangerous. He considered himself to be a pretty charming guy. He could usually get what he needed from the opposite sex with a smile and some light flirting, but she was the first woman who resisted. She not only put up a fight, she had her own bag of tricks that turned him into a mumbling fool.

Booth headed for the bedroom but as soon as he came through the door, his presence gave her a start. Judging by the fast way that she shut her drawer, she had something she was keeping from him.

"Whatcha doing?" Booth eyed her suspiciously as he examined her face.

"Getting ready for bed, do you want to join me?" She said as she turned on the charm.

"My girlfriend is standing in her bedroom, dressed only in lace underwear, asking if I want to join her in bed?" He grinned as he made his way over to her, removing his already loosened tie as he went. He wrapped his arm around her waist and, in one swift move, deposited her on the bed.

"That sounds almost too good to be true." He grinned. "What's in the drawer, Bones?" He asked as he pressed her wrists into the bed.

"Private things." She said, knowing that he wouldn't open the drawer without her permission. They were still in the beginning stages of this relationship and neither one would dare screw it up by breaking the trust of the other.

"Private things involving me?" He asked.

"Maybe." She said coyly.

"But you can't tell me for sure." He teased.

"I _could_ tell you, but I'm not going to." She smiled. "But if you want to try and get it out of me, I wouldn't be opposed to an… interrogation." Booth arched his eyebrow at the offer. "Then again, I know that you're a desk man now. You're probably out of practice." He mocked offense at her words.

"Oh, Bones. Didn't anyone ever teach you to be careful with what you wished for?" He asked as he reached behind him and grabbed the tie he had just tossed aside. Brennan watched in interest as he tied her to the headboard, making no attempts to get away. The silk against the delicate skin of her inner wrist was enough to drive her wild and he hadn't even done anything yet. Booth took the opportunity to stare at her. She watched as his eyes trailed over her body. She couldn't tell if he was ogling her or planning his next move. Maybe both. She decided to test the waters.

"What's it going to be, Agent Booth?" She asked. "You've got me tied up but now what are you going to do with me?" She asked saucily. He smiled at her words as he trailed a calloused finger along her ankle.

"It's Deputy Director Booth." He reminded her. "But you can call me Sir." His finger trailed slowly up the outside of her calf, but he never went higher than just below her knee. He got up and looked around her dresser. Finding what he was looking for he brought it back over to the bed.

"Lotion?" She said. "You're going to get me to talk using lotion?" She said incredulously. He didn't say a word, simply squirted some lotion in his hand and warmed it up in his palms. His quiet look of confidence intrigued her so she let him take her foot in his hands. He massaged it perfectly and Brennan couldn't help but sigh and get comfortable on the bed. Booth placed her foot on his shoulder, applying the lotion to her calf. He continued until each leg, each arm, and her stomach were fully moisturized and the blood was coursing through her veins. He had massaged her everywhere but where she was still clothed. Her nipples were aching for attention and she tried desperately not to think about how the lace of her bra, rubbed just the right way, might feel against her skin. 

"You know, most people think that interrogation requires force to get answers." He commented, speaking for the first time since this adventure began. "But really, it's all about patience." He said as he squirted some more lotion into his hands. "The more comfortable people get, the more they are willing to talk. There's got to be an anthropological term for that." He said as he reached behind her and flipped over onto her stomach.

"Acclimation." She offered as he lotioned the small of her back. She closed her eyes in relief as she finally was able to use the friction from the pillow to alleviate some of the pressure in her chest. Booth caught her wiggling and held her still.

"Now, now, Bones. Wasn't I just talking about patience?" He scolded as he turned her back over. She wanted to whimper at her return to such a restrictive pose. He dipped the pad of his finger into her belly button and she nearly arched off the bed, her hands straining against the tie. He slid her underwear off her body and released the front clasp of her bra, exposing her to him like a present he had just opened. And while this was supposed to be about her, he couldn't help himself as he allowed his lips to find their way to her breasts. He ran his tongue along the valley of her breasts as he let one finger mimic the action along her wet center. The strained moan that caught in her chest vibrated against his lips and he rewarded her for the sound with a quick swish of her clit.

"Booth." She cried, unable to hold herself together much longer. "Please." She

"Please what?" He murmured into her ear as his finger continued its aimless teasing between her legs.

"I want….I need…Damn it." She cursed her foggy mind as he sucked an ear lobe in between his teeth. "Touch me." She begged.

"I thought I was, Bones." He teased.

"Then fuck me." She commanded as she raised her hips off the bed. He groaned at how downright hot it sounded when she got bossy. What did that say about him? He probably didn't want to know. He slid a calloused finger into her and crooked it, stroking her perfectly and causing her to cry out in pleasure. "_More_." She begged breathily, causing him to go a little dizzy. He slid another finger into her and she squeezed him tightly.

"Jesus, Bones." He whispered as she worked to meet him.

"Untie me." She said, having had enough. "Booth, I'm serious. Untie me." She said, desperately. He reached over her and slid her hands out of their constraints. As soon as she was free, she ripped him out of his shirt, sending buttons scattering across her wood floors. She went straight for his pants, impatiently shoving them down his legs. He paused to remove his shirt and kick his pants the rest of the way to the floor before climbing on top of her. Feeling bad for torturing her and desperate to feel her around him, he entered her quickly. They both groaned in satisfaction at the feeling. He could practically feel her vibrating with need so he shook his own haze away and worked to finally give her what he had been promising for the last thirty minutes. Her nails cut into his back as she frantically clung to him, but he didn't care. He reached down and pulled her thigh up higher and she shattered around him, extracting every ounce of willpower out of him until he was coming just as hard within her. He fell to the mattress beside her and tried to catch his breath.

"Wow." She murmured.

"I know that everything happens for a reason," he started "but when I think that we had 6 years of chances for this to happen, I sort of hate us for not taking advantage." He confessed. Brennan chuckled.

"We didn't know what we were missing."

"Oh, I think we did, which is why we never let ourselves think about it." She nodded before sidling up into his arms.

"You can think about it now." She said as she kissed his chest.

"Oh, I plan on doing much more than thinking about it." Booth promised. She smiled sleepily and fought a yawn. He chuckled at the sight. "God, I'm so in love with you." He muttered the words before he even realized he had said them out loud. She closed her eyes and smiled.

"Good. I'm glad." She said, letting those words be the last thing she thought about before drifting off to sleep.


	9. All Roads Lead Home

A/N: This is the last chapter. I didn't intend for it to be, but when I started writing, it just happened! And I had other stuff written! Lol. Oh well. Thank you to all of you for reading. This one has been the most enjoyable one to write. I dedicate this one to my TwitterPals, but most importantly to Sunsetdreamer, who wrote me the most beautiful fanfiction story I have ever read. The least I can do is incorporate a teeny bit of HockeySmut just for her!

OOOOO

Brennan smelled the delicious food cooking before she woke up. The scent of pancakes and maple syrup drifted into her nasal passages and up to her brain, waking her from her deep sleep. She didn't need to open her eyes to know that Booth wasn't in bed anymore. The cool space next to her told her he had been gone for some time. She opened her eyes and wondered if he was planning on waking her up or if she was just supposed to stay in bed. Never one to care what someone else had planned, she pulled a sweatshirt and yoga pants out of her closet and threw them on before padding out into the kitchen. Booth was standing in his underwear, busy cooking at the stove, his back to her.

"Good morning." He said as he heard her approach, but when he didn't get a response, he turned around to glance at her. "What's wrong?" He asked. She walked over to him and placed her hand on his back.

"Your back." She said as she touched the scratches lightly.

"Oh, my battle scars?" He smiled. "Don't worry, they'll be gone in a couple of days." He waved her concern off with his spatula before he flipped another pancake.

"I'm sorry." She said. "I hadn't realized that I…"

"Bones." She paused as Booth thrust a cup of coffee into her hands. "I promise you, I'm not complaining. Now sit down. I'm making us breakfast." She was too groggy to argue so she followed his command and sat down.

"What's the occasion?" She asked.

"No occasion, just thought I would do something nice." He said as he handed her the first stack of finished pancakes. "Plus, I'm still on East Coast time so I woke up an hour earlier than normal." She smiled at his real reason but accepted the pancakes gratefully.

"Thank you." Despite his nice surprise, she couldn't concentrate on her meal. She watched in interest as he made himself at home in her kitchen. He poured himself some more coffee, finished cooking his own stack of pancakes, all the while humming to himself. He looked so natural. Once again, she was caught off-guard by the intense feeling of harmony that accompanied his presence in her life. She had convinced herself for years that she was fine on her own, and she had been, for the most part. But there was something about him that just fit, no matter where he was. He projected an innate ease that she envied. He was always at home and that, in return, made her feel like she was at home too. He was her home.

"Aren't you hungry?" He asked, wondering why she hadn't touched her food yet. His question jolted her from her thoughts.

"I was waiting for you." She replied, wondering if he would catch the double meaning.

"Well, I'm here now, so eat up." He said as he dug into his own pancakes. She smiled. Despite his obliviousness to what she was really saying, he gave the perfect answer. The simple statement embodied so much of the relationship between them that she couldn't help but smile. As she happily cut into her pancakes, it finally hit home that this was what she had been missing. This was the final piece of the puzzle and once it had been put in its place, she _knew_.

OOOOO

"Look what just arrived." Brennan said as she brought a box into the living room.

"What is it?" He asked.

"Our uniforms."

"Uniforms?" He said, completely confused as she pulled the first Blackhawks jersey out of the box and handed it to him. "Oh, you mean jerseys. Our jerseys." He corrected her with a smile as he held it up.

"Yes, do you like it? Everyone insisted that they were important to the experience."

"Always the anthropologist, huh?" He smiled as he looked up at her. "They're great, Bones. Really." He thanked her with a kiss.

"This looks rather large. I'm going to go try it on." She said as she made her way into the bedroom. A few minutes later, a muffled "It's too big!" came from the bedroom.

"You know, they're supposed to be big, Bones. It's the look." He called back as he folded his jersey back up and set it down on the couch next to him.

"But this big?" She asked as she came out of the bedroom again. Booth turned his attention from the couch to her. Sure enough, the jersey was large, the bottom hem coming down to her upper thigh. Booth paused at the sight of her mile long bare legs. Almost instantly, his mouth went dry and he felt his erection pressing into his jeans. He shut his gaping mouth and gathered his self-control. She walked closer to him, arms outstretched to the sides. "I think I look ridiculous, it's practically a dress." She clearly knew what she was doing. He knew her well enough to recognize the half-hidden smirk on her face. "What do you think?" She asked as she pressed him into the back of the couch and straddled his lap. Her arms snaked around his neck. "Too much?" Booth closed his eyes at her blatant attempts to drive him crazy.

"You're always too much." He muttered as he opened his eyes again, forcing him to believe that this was actually happening. He slid his hands up the back of her thighs, keeping her in place.

"You love me." She smirked, knowing it was true. She bent down to kiss him slowly and Booth thought he had died and gone to heaven. As the kiss's effects roared through his veins, he let his mischievous hands wander under the hem of the jersey and slide up the rest of her body. He groaned against her mouth as he realized that he had never hit fabric. She was completely naked under there. She smirked in delight against his skin as she kissed her way up his jaw to his ear.

"I believe that it's my turn to take the lead." She whispered as she stroked him firmly through his jeans and sucked his earlobe into her mouth. He hissed in pleasure at her actions, willing to give into anything she requested in that moment. Her dexterous fingers made quick work of his fly as she undressed him and he watched in amazement as he was quickly disrobed. He couldn't resist as he reached up under the jersey once again to feel her smooth skin of her hip. His thumb strayed until it found her clit and she let out a soft mewl of contentment.

"Oh God, I love it when you make that noise." He murmured as she widened her knees and sank lower into his fingers. She allowed him to toy with her for a moment until she realized that she was supposed to be pleasing him. She shoved his hand away and lowered herself onto him slowly, reveling in the sensation of taking him within her. Her hips set the pace, but he met her with every move, taking just as much pleasure in giving as receiving. At the sight of his tight, twitching jaw, she sped up. Booth gave her a knowing look.

"Come for me." She commanded, squeezing him tighter. He shook his head once, wanting her to come first. "Booth." She groaned, fighting her own impending orgasm until he reached his.

"Ladies…first…" He managed to get out before reaching up her jersey and tweaking her breast. She let out an impassioned cry.

"Booth..." She was getting close, he could feel her losing control.

"Bones..." He echoed back, not knowing how much longer he could last. But at the sound of her name, she lost control and her muscles fluttered through her orgasm, milking him along the way and sending him hurtling through his own release. She collapsed into his arms as he slipped from her.

"Damn it." She whispered, knowing she had lost.

"Better luck next time, Bones." She could practically hear his tired but triumphant grin and she giggled as she hid in the curve of his neck, not wanting to see the physical reminder of her loss. He just wrapped his fingers in her hair and held her closer, not minding in the least.

OOOOO

Brennan was fairly certain that she would never enjoy a hockey game as much as she did with Booth. His love for the game was infectious. He had cheered, smiled, and patiently (and sometimes, not so patiently) explained what was going on to her. Watching him watch the game was a better experience than the game itself.

As they walked out of the arena, she slid her arm around his and she was suddenly reminded of that night out in front of the Hoover when he walked her home. Despite the similar closeness, they had been so sad that night, both lost in their own thoughts on the silent walk home. She couldn't believe that so much had changed from that moment to now.

"Did you have fun?" Booth asked, wrapping his arm around her shoulder and welcoming her into his space.

"I did." She said. "But my favorite part was watching you." She admitted.

"Me?"

"You love this game. I can tell." She smiled. Booth looked surprised by her observation but smiled.

"I do." He confirmed. "You know, when I was really little there was this rink, just down the road from my school? And I would go there every day and just skate and skate. Mom would sit in the bleachers with Jared, he was just a toddler." He smiled at the memory. "I would have stayed out there until I caught hypothermia if it meant time with just the three of us." He said. "I hated going home, even before..." He stopped.

"Before?" Brennan asked, wanting him to open up.

"Before the drinking devolved into abuse." He finished. Brennan kissed his shoulder tenderly through his jacket, wanting to give him some sort of comfort in return for his confession. His heart filled at the gesture and they walked the rest of the way in silence.

OOOOO

As they got ready for bed that evening, Booth watched Brennan go through her nightly routine. Used to being the observer, she felt slightly disconcerted by his observing. Then again, there was something protective in the knowledge that he cared enough to watch her so closely. As she reached into her drawer, she remembered that he never got his explanation from the night before.

"What's in the drawer, Bones?" He asked, reading her mind. She smiled at the question and she turned to look at him.

"I was just about to tell you." She turned and pulled a jewelry box out of the drawer and set it on top of the dresser. "This was my mother's." She said as she shut the drawer and brought the box over for him to see. "My dad gave it to me right after he was released from prison." She sat down next to him and set the box in between. It was a mahogany box, simple, but beautifully designed. She lifted the lid and Booth recognized some of her rings as well as what he assumed was her mother's jewelry. He had yet to see what this had to do with him, until the shelf slid away to reveal the rest of the box. In a space that he assumed was meant for larger pieces, there was a collection of items that he recognized almost immediately. He chuckled as he reached in for the first item he saw.

"Jasper." He greeted the pig as he examined him.

"And Brainy Smurf." She added as she handed him the toy.

"You have a Booth box." He smiled. Brennan blushed slightly at the term.

"I suppose that is an accurate title."

"When we get back to D.C., I'll show you my Brennan box." He promised. This statement gave her pause. "Oh yeah, I've got one." He assured her. He turned his attention back to the contents in front of him. "What's this?" He asked as he pulled out an old boarding pass.

"It's from my flight to Guatemala." She said as she pointed to the year on the stub: 2005. "I had been using it as a bookmark in the book I had been reading on the plane and I found it when I moved out of my apartment."

"After I blew the last one up?" He commented with a shake of his head. "You know, it really is a miracle that we are still alive. Honestly."

"Speaking of being alive," She pulled out the bloodstained, folded page from her book that Booth had already seen once in her manuscript. "You've already seen this." She said as she handed it to him. Seeing the real life version of the stained paper and scrawled handwriting was almost too much for him. He opened it briefly, unable to resist the pain of seeing it up close, before handing it back to her. "I remember thinking that I never thought that I would be put in a situation where I had to write a goodbye note." She said.

"No one ever thinks that they will be put in that situation." Booth said.

"That's not why." She said. "I never thought that I would have someone that I needed to say goodbye to." She confessed. Booth was certain his heart was breaking, right there in his chest. "From ninth grade on, I had been on my own. And as soon as I turned eighteen, I was completely reliant on myself. I applied and paid for college myself, I found my own apartments, my own jobs. I had absolutely no one who I could truly depend on. And then, one night at a party, I met Angela." She smiled. "And just a few weeks later, you walked into my classroom." Booth smiled as she nudged him with her shoulder. 'Two years later, I had an entire team working to save my life."

"A family." He corrected her. She nodded and reached into the box for the next item. It was a newspaper clipping. "What's this?" Booth asked as he took it from her. He stilled as he realized it was his obituary. Just the sight of it, despite knowing that it was a fake planted to bring out a murderer, made his nerves raw. He began to read.

_Special Agent Seeley Joseph Booth 1972-2007_

_FBI Special Agent Seeley Booth was killed in the line of duty last evening at the Checkerbox night club in Arlington after taking a bullet originally meant for his partner Dr. Temperance Brennan. Dr. Brennan, known worldwide for her series of books involving forensic anthropologist Kathy Reichs, was fired upon by a suspect in an ongoing murder investigation. Special Agent Booth jumped in front of the bullet to protect his partner, and the bullet struck him in his chest. Dr. Brennan eliminated the threat to the rest of the night club by taking out the shooter before she could attempt to harm anyone else. Despite multiple attempts by his partner to revive him at the scene, Special Agent Booth was declared dead at a local hospital._

_SA Booth joined the FBI after serving his country as a highly decorated Master Sergeant. He served as a sniper in the 75th__Ranger Regiment and was awarded the Bronze Star and a National Defense Service Medal amongst other commendations. At the FBI, he worked hand in hand with the Jeffersonian Institution's Medico-Legal Lab in solving homicide cases. Along with his partner, he had one of the highest success rates in his field. He is survived by his son, Parker Matthew Booth, age 7, his brother Jared Booth and his grandfather Hank Booth. He will be dearly missed by all those who knew him._

Booth set the article down and sighed.

"What?" She asked, wanting to know why he had that look on his face.

"It's weird seeing your life just laid out like that in a paper, reduced to two paragraphs in the Post."

"That's not your life." She said as she took the article back. "And you know it."

"It's what people will remember."

"No, it's not." She said. "When I thought about our time together, do you think I remembered the fact that you were in the army or that you had a high success rate?" She asked him. "I remembered the man that brought me Chinese food in the middle of the night and danced in my living room and helped me convince a jury that I could have committed murder. I remembered the man who shot through a glass door just to be in the same room with his people." She smiled. "You are so much more than this." She said as she tossed it aside. "You're a father, a friend, and a good man and those traits cannot be conveyed in print." He smiled at her attempts to persuade him of his own virtues.

"Thanks, Bones." He said. "I'm sorry that this has to be included in your box." He said as he put the article back in the bottom of the jewelry box. She didn't have time to comment before he reached for the most important item.

"A cork?" Booth asked.

"From last night." She smiled. "To remember the time that you flew all the way to Chicago to surprise me and to commemorate the weekend when I finally caught up to you." Booth frowned.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"This weekend, I realized that I _knew_. You and I are supposed to be together, Booth. I've known for a long time that we love each other but for the first time, I believe that we can actually make it work." His eyes searched her own, wanting to confirm what she had said was true. He saw the gleam of quiet confidence, the sure smile on her lips. He also knew that when she made up her mind, that was it. There was no talking her out of it again. He let the smile that was bubbling out of him reveal itself on his face before kissing her firmly on the lips.

"If you're saying what I think you're saying, I just want you to know that I'm not going to let you get away ever again." He promised.

"Getting away isn't all that it's cracked up to be." She replied honestly. Booth's heart overflowed in his chest as he kissed her again. They had taken several paths to this moment: the path of ignorance, denial and even stubborn anger, but somehow, they had still ended up in each other's arms. He knew that if they could survive the last ten years, they could survive anything and that was a heady but reassuring feeling. She pulled away, desperate for oxygen and Booth couldn't resist being impulsive as he reached up and touched her face.

"Move in with me." He said. "When you get to DC, we'll buy a new place, start from scratch and build a real life together, what do you think?" He asked. She considered his statement.

"I would like that very much." She confessed.

"Really?" He said, happily surprised at her approval. "You're not even going to think about it?"

"I find that no matter where I live, as long as I'm with you, it will feel like home." Booth shook his head in wonder at the woman in front of him. He kissed her forehead, silently thanking God for that genius brain of hers before pulling her back into his arms. Because just like always, she was right. All he needed was her and that was enough.


End file.
